Phone scam targets people with fake jury duty fines

A public warning cautioned people to be on guard for a phone scam in which callers claim recipients “missed jury duty” and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest, a Facebook post said.

The post said courts and law enforcement do not demand payment over the phone and will not instruct people to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, Cash App, Venmo, bitcoin or prepaid cards. It added that officials will not threaten immediate arrest during a phone call.

Scammers may sound convincing, the post said, including spoofing local phone numbers or posing as officers or court officials. The post urged anyone receiving such a call to hang up immediately, not to provide personal or banking information and not to send money.

Jury service is a civic duty and courts typically notify potential jurors through official written summonses and other formal channels rather than by demanding immediate payment over the phone. The post encouraged sharing the warning to help protect friends, family and elderly community members. We will provide more information as it becomes available.