The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens to be on the lookout for a phone scam involving a jury duty warrant.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies recently received a report that a scammer called a local resident and threatened that she would be arrested for missing jury duty. The scammer claimed to be “Sergeant Jones” from MCSO and stated that two federal warrants were issued for her arrest.
The resident was then advised to come to the sheriff’s office with a cashier’s check, in the amount of $2,500, to pay a fee in order to rectify the situation.
“Fortunately, the would-be victim recognized that THIS IS A SCAM!” stated MCSO in a social media post. “So, she just hung up.”
The sheriff’s office added that if you receive this type of call, and you call the number back, it may seem like a legitimate call. However, MCSO will never accept payment over the phone for any reason, and you will not be able to submit a payment to get rid of a warrant.
To verify if you actually missed jury duty, contact the Marion County Clerk of Court.
Scammers will try to create a sense of panic and urgency to force individuals to take action, such as sending a payment. MCSO is reminding citizens to “trust their gut” because “if something seems wrong or suspicious, it probably is.”