ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — A reoccurring scam has hit St. Joseph County that attempts to get residents to pay money to avoid arrest from missing jury duty or from an outstanding warrant.
St. Joseph County police reported that two residents were affected by the scam in the past six weeks.
A 31-year-old woman from Granger paid $3,000 through CoinStar to phone scammers who were posing as federal agents with a warrant for her arrest for missing jury duty, police said in a press release.
Later, a 62-year-old male from Granger paid $3,200 through Venmo to phone scammers who said they were with the county police department and had a warrant for his arrest for missing jury duty. The scammer texted a photo of a fake order from a circuit court judge demanding he pay the fine or risk arrest, police said.
County police are asking residents to be aware and alert.
"The callers are very convincing and persuasive, using fear to cloud the victim's judgment while the caller attempts to get the victim to act quickly without thinking about what they are being asked to do," police said in a press release.
The latest scams involve a phone call or text that uses the name of an actual county police officer to tell residents that a judge has issued a warrant demanding either their arrest or payment to avoid the arrest, usually due to missing jury duty.
Police said the scammers often use spoofing apps to make the call appear to be from the St. Joseph County Police Department or to look like county government numbers, such as with 574-235 or 574-245 prefixes. The scammers also leave messages telling victims to call 574-227-1626.
Scammers also use fake court orders issued by St. Joseph Circuit Court Judge John Broden, police said. They ask for payment through Bitcoin, CoinStar, PayPal, Venmo, gift cards or via a deposit of cash into a bank account number.
The St. Joseph County Police Department emphasized that it does not issue warrants for arrest if someone fails to report to jury duty and does not allow money to be paid over the phone to avoid arrest.
If a person fails to appear for their scheduled jury duty, they don't face repercussions, the department's public information officer, Troy Warner, said.
Rather, they'll be put back on a list for jury duty at a later date. If a person doesn't appear after a few times, the court staff would reach out to confirm that they have the correct phone number and address for that resident.
No warrants are issued.
Additionally, the St. County Police Department does not call people to tell them about a warrant or court order for their arrest. The warrants team, Warner said, will do some reconnaissance to locate the individual and will knock on their door or detain them as they come out of the house or at a traffic stop.
If a resident receives a call threatening their arrest, police said, they should tell the caller that they will hang up and call the county police or the court to verify the warrant or order. Police said residents can also call 911 to report the call to the police.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
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