Dougherty Dispatch- From under the Beach Umbrella
November 6, 2025
A big hello to all of you from John D!
I may be retired, but I have not fallen off the Earth. I now understand, however, what many of you mean when you say you don’t know how you had time to work when you worked. As a reminder, as chairman emeritus of the firm, I continue to be the chief investment officer overseeing investment strategy and management of assets. Seann and the others in the firm continue to excel, and from time to time may consult with me on issues that only someone in the industry for more than 40 years may know. It has become a very successful team effort.
Yesterday, I had a terrifying experience. Like I’ve told all our clients not to do, I answered my phone to a call of whose source I was not sure. I was alarmed to hear a deputy sheriff on the other end with a sweet southern accent, telling me that I had failed to appear for jury duty, and that I was in trouble. He seemed to know the area, and the caller ID did not indicate it was a bad caller, so guess what—I fell hook line and sinker for the scam. Almost.
While still believing the caller, I argued with the deputy sheriff about not receiving any notice for the jury summons, and I even pleaded that I couldn’t have done anything wrong, because, after all, I’ve been a good financial planner and CPA who is now retired! I pleaded with him to believe that I show up for all my jury duties, I answer all letters, and I do everything they require (even though I never get selected for a jury!). He seemed patient enough and very convincing. I told him I’d drive right over to their office and turn myself in to be at the mercy of our county sheriff.
He initially agreed and then he hesitated, calling his supervisor, a Lieutenant White, to the phone. At that point, becoming a little skeptical, I said I was driving and asked if I could call right back. They both argued that I could not hang up and that I might be arrested if I showed up at their offices. Instead, they would work out a deal over the phone.
That’s when I hung up and called the sheriff’s office directly. Believe it or not, they confirmed there was a Lieutenant White on staff! But they also said that what I was hearing was a big fat scam.
Amazingly, just a few hours later, my neighbor told me he had received the same call earlier the same day. They wanted $14,000 from him to fix his arrest warrant!
When I was telling a friend about all this, he told me about his mother who was scammed out of $30,000 when the caller pretended to be a nephew in trouble.
If you have any similar experiences, let us know so that we can alert our other clients.
The moral of the story: Do not listen to these people when they call you and do not give them any information. Ask for a telephone number and say you’ll call them back. Then call our office or call your nearest trusted relative. For my own experience, I suffered some humiliation, but, fortunately, no financial loss.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to catch up on my honey-do list that I put off for over 40 years! And don’t be surprised if you receive a few more dispatches from underneath the beach umbrella.
Warmest Regards,
John D.
Dougherty Investment Advisors
A Tradition of Excellence
4048 Deltona Blvd | Spring Hill, FL 34