[SoDu Sunrise Showcase] Don't Fall for the Grand Jury Scam

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Beware the Grand Jury Summons Scam

Not too long ago, my iPhone started ringing. The number didn't say SCAM LIKELY, but seemed to be from Benson, N.C. The kids were at school. I worried maybe it was a teacher calling. So, I answered.

The man on the other end introduced himself as a Durham County sheriff's detective and informed me that I'd apparently ignored a summons to serve on a federal grand jury. The summons, he said, was sent in January. He wanted me to come to the courthouse on Dillard Street to pay a fine. Hilariously, he did not want me to notify my wife (a lawyer who works as a public defender at the courthouse on Dillard Street). Even funnier: He didn't want me to hang up. He wanted to keep me on the line until I arrived with payment.

"I'm not going anywhere to meet with a stranger who's trying to shake me down for money without consulting with my wife who works in that building," I told him. "Just so you know, I'm a journalist. Maybe you should let me talk to your superior."

"Oh, sure, hang on, I'll get him," the "detective" replied. The line went quiet. He never came back. I disengaged that call, then immediately called Catherine - who informed me that she had just gotten off the phone with a fake detective making the same claim.

So, be careful out there.

Joy, Defiance, and Hope: Juneteenth Observance at NCCU

From gospel songs performed by the Black Angels of St. Joseph’s AME Church to the urgent call to “WAKE UP!” by actors in Hillside High School’s One Voice troupe, the Juneteenth observance at North Carolina Central University on Thursday put its focus on doing more to protect Black youth from an inherently biased system. The event featured a keynote speech from Kristin Henning, a Georgetown law professor and author of The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth.

The event was hosted by the North Carolina Association of Public Defenders.

SoDu Shopping Basket [Premium Subscriber Feature]

Southpoint Access monitors the prices on items like eggs, milk, and bread from week to week. This week, as an example, a dozen eggs appear cheapest at Walmart ($2.72).

FOR SUBSCRIBERS

• [In Memoriam] Durham Obituaries - June 17, 2025
• [Welcome to the World] Durham Births - May 17-23, 2025
• South Durham Restaurant Inspection Scores for June 2025

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

• Silent Disco. Kindergarten through middle school. 2 to 4 p.m. Join in conference room 3214 at the Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St.) for a Kidz Bop Silent Disco with glowsticks and blacklights. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Registration required to be guaranteed a time. (Durham County Library)

Check out this week's activities in Southpoint Access.

LET'S PLAY

• [Crossword] SoDu Neighborhoods

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