How the Scam Works

Scammers at it again with another jury duty scam. They are impersonating law enforcement officers—claiming to be from the sheriff’s office or court system—and contacting people by phone, email, or text. They allege that you missed jury duty and now face arrest unless you immediately pay a fine. To make it sound legit, they might use real names of local officials, provide fake badge numbers, or spoof caller IDs to appear as if they’re calling from an official number. In one case, a woman received a call from someone claiming to be a deputy, complete with a badge number. The scammer was polite and convincing, but when she asked questions, things didn’t add up. She hung up and confirmed with the real sheriff’s office that it was a jury duty scam.

What Real Authorities Will Never Do

  • Call or email you demanding payment for missed jury duty.
  • Threaten arrest over the phone.
  • Ask for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, Venmo, Zelle, or cryptocurrency.
  • Request personal information like your Social Security number or banking details over the phone.

Legitimate jury duty communications come through official mail, not phone calls or emails. Any other communication is a jury duty scam. 

 

 

What You Should Do

  • Hang up immediately if you receive such a call.
  • Do not provide any personal or financial information.
  • Report the incident to your local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission at the Fraud Report Website.  
  • If in doubt, contact your local court directly using verified contact information.

Talk to Your Parents and Grandparents

It is especially important to have the conversation with your older loved ones about these kinds of jury duty scams. Seniors are often prime targets because they grew up trusting authority and aren’t always familiar with how ruthless and high-tech scammers have become.

 

 

These fraudsters don’t just pretend to be deputies or court officers—they sound professional, they use names and badge numbers, and they’re very good at creating a false sense of urgency. And when they sense hesitation? They escalate.

Scammers will:

  • Use aggressive language
  • Threaten arrest
  • Claim a warrant is already active
  • Say a judge has signed an order
  • Insist you’ll be taken into custody if you don’t pay immediately

They’re banking on fear. They’ll keep your loved one on the phone, sometimes for hours, isolating them, refusing to let them hang up or talk to anyone else. This is intentional manipulation, and it’s designed to pressure seniors into panicking and handing over money or personal information before they can think it through.

So please—talk to your parents, grandparents, or any older folks you care about and warn them of this jury duty scam. Make sure they know:

  • No legitimate agency will ever demand payment over the phone
  • They should never give out banking or Social Security info
  • It’s okay to hang up and call the real authorities for verification
  • If in doubt, hang up and call a family member and tell them what has transpired

A calm, honest conversation today could save your loved one from losing hundreds—or thousands—of dollars, and more importantly, their peace of mind.

 

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