I’m a sucker…here’s my evidence

Hindsight is 20/20 - or even better right?! This past Saturday we had a seminar at our church by a friend of mine who owns a cybersecurity company. Usually on Saturday’s I’m enjoying a chill day with family and friends eating like kings and queens devoid of devices - but this was one of the most valuable seminars of my life. I only wish it had been a week earlier.

So the story starts when I get a haircut at my cousin Zane’s rad salon named after our grandmother - Medalyn (shout out to my sister and mom too for some killer decor and design skills).

I walk into the grocery store and get a phone call.

“Hello, is this Mr. Jared Thurmon?”

“Yes.”

“This is Deputy Lewis Jones with the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office.”

The last time I got a phone call that started like that was over a decade ago—when my dad had just died in a head‑on collision with a semi‑truck.

My gut sinks. I dread the next words: that my mom or sister have now died in a car accident.

And just to let you in on what’s happening inside my body: my gut is on fire, cortisol is flooding my veins, my adrenal glands are getting their best workout in years, and a surge of emotions seizes me. A million thoughts rush in—just like the day my dad died: What was our last conversation? Did I tell them I loved them? Were we at peace?

Regret is a nasty emotion.

I feel like those boxes are checked. And as I’m trying to reel from it all, the words continue:

“Mr. Thurmon, you skipped out on jury duty. We have your signature confirming you’d be there, and now I need to inform you that we have a bench warrant for you. Do you understand this is serious?”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

“Now, I want you to look up the number I’m calling from to verify I am who I say I am.”

So I do. It’s the Bartow County Police Station.

I won’t take you through the next 45 minutes of conversation, but here’s the summary: he knows a lot about me. He tells me I can either come get booked and stay for 3–4 days until a judge can see me, or I can pay a fine. Either way, I should head immediately to—wait for it—the Bartow County Police Station.

If his goal was to throw off my emotions and completely cloud my ability to think clearly, those first words had done the trick.

I had maybe a 1% suspicion this could be a scam. But when he wanted me to go to the real address of the real sheriff’s/police station/office, I thought: Wow, this must be legit. No criminal would direct me to the police station.

He tells me not to hang up until I get there. I’m confused. He’s giving me information that all sounds official: case numbers like FTA‑CV‑7143 and COC‑CV‑6195. And everything seems to check out as I frantically Google on my phone in the apple aisle of Whole Foods.

I reach out to Annette to call someone I trust who worked at this precinct. He says, “Yeah, it sounds legit.”

Now I’m shocked.

I’m literally about to get in the car to head that way when I’m transferred to someone else who says, “Actually, we’re going to need to meet you, because if you step foot on the property, you will be arrested.”

Then my senses return. I hang up.

And so off to ChatGPT I went—to find the following:

If you are curious of ways to prevent being scammed - take a look at the below…

Here is the latest jury-duty phone scam, where callers impersonate police or court officials:

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🚨 What’s Happening

Scammers are calling individuals, claiming you missed jury duty and that there’s now an outstanding arrest warrant. They impersonate sheriffs, deputies, or court officers—sometimes even giving badge numbers or quoting real judge names—to make the call more authentic.

They use high-pressure tactics, threatening immediate arrest unless you pay a “fine” or “bond” over the phone—often insisting on untraceable payment methods like gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

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🧠 How They Trick You

 • Caller ID spoofing: They make it look like they’re calling from your local courthouse or sheriff’s office. How? This Software. 

 • Combining phone + text/email: They might send fake documents, warrants, or case numbers via SMS or email.

It appears this is going on all over:

 • Staying on the line during payment: They guide you step-by-step—often over hours—through ATM withdrawals or crypto purchases.

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📉 Real-Life Impact

 • A woman in Pennsylvania lost over $6,000 during a three-hour call before she realized it was a scam.

 • In Oklahoma, a pensioner drove 200 miles to an ATM to buy Bitcoin and lost $2,000 

This almost read - A sucker named JARED from Georgia almost fell for it too!!!

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🛡️ How to Stay Safe

Hang up immediately

Legitimate courts never call you to demand payment or threaten arrest.

Don’t share info or pay

They’ll ask for personal ID, payment via gift cards, or crypto—don’t comply.

Verify independently

Call your jury office or clerk directly using known contact info—never through the number they provide.

Report it

Let local police, your court clerk, the U.S. Marshals, and/or the Federal Trade Commission know.

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What I learned

We can be so easily manipulated when we are thrown into an emotional state of fear or anxiety. I thought back to the Corona days and how terrified everyone was and willing to give up their first born to not get sick.

Though they didn’t know they were triggering some major trauma, scammers exploit fear and urgency—especially with honest people.

I learned that real processes always start via mail, demands for fines or warrants are never made over the phone, and real arrest warrants are always delivered in person.

What I also learned over the next probably 24 hours - is that trauma - or traumatic events and moments can totally throw us off our game and it’s not as easy to just shake it off. Trust me I tried but for the next 24 hours I was in a funk of all funks. It gave me more empathy for everyone around us who has gone through trauma and may be continuing to live it and don’t even know why things feel/look the way they do. That’s another benefit of Lifeapp - if you have ANY trauma in life - I’ve never seen something more effective to help find healing and life again. Annette and I are volunteering at the next three. Only come if you want to radically make your life more amazing!

A Few Helpful Resources for your Digital Health Checkup

Want to see if anyone is trying to use your picture online without you knowing about it? Click Here

Phishing - Hover over (or lightly press on mobile) any links you are sent to see if they are from who they say they are. I had someone recently open a Chase Bank account with my email and chase somehow wasn’t able to find it and yet confirmed the emails were legit. Even better - go direct to a website you do business with and don’t click on any links you’re not sure of.

Freeze your credit - you can unfreeze it when you need it. Much easier than someone racking up debt on your dime and time.

Google Alerts - see if anyone is using your name or mentioning you online.

Talkwalker - same idea - to see if anyone is using your name etc on social media.

Voice Cloning - This is some of the most amazing tech out right now - but it also allows anyone to get your voice and then say whatever they want to anyone they want. So imagine someone cloning your voice, calling your family member in desperate need and getting money wired to them ASAP? I had a friend’s mom wire $15k to him thinking he was in an emergency when someone had in reality cloned his voice and spoofed his number so that when it rang on her phone it showed up as his caller ID and was his voice.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. 👋

I write this newsletter each week because I feel my best when my body, mind and soul are all healthy. I want the same for you. If you feel like you’ve seen something valuable here, please do me a favor and forward this newsletter to a friend or let me know what you think by replying or texting me - (310) 879-8441

I think happy couples make the world go round. I also believe men can do more to lead and love in their lives. In light of that, I have found the following four books to be the 4 books every man should read and every woman should want their man to read.

• Good Energy - What makes for a Healthy Body and Mind?

• The Masculine in Relationship - How to Win the Trust, Lust and Devotion of a Strong Woman

• The Man’s Guide to Women - The Science of Happy Relationships

• The Desire of Ages - Leadership in a World of Cowards

Here are a few other links to things that have changed my life:

Whoop - Track your HRV and REM Sleep

Function Health - Optimize Your Health via 100+ BioMarkers

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.