Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office issues warning about jury scam

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a jury duty scam. The warning was sent out Friday after several reports were received by law enforcement.

Scammers able to spoof telephone numbers to make it appear the call is coming from a legitimate agency are contacting individuals, telling them they are guilty of missing out on jury duty. The scammer will threaten an individual with arrest, unless a fake fine is paid immediately.

The Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that no law enforcement agency will ever make contact by telephone asking for payment, especially not by gift card, cryptocurrency, or other non-conventional means of payment preferred by criminals.

In recent years, the jury duty scam has become more sophisticated, with scammers going so far as to learn the names of law enforcement officers in the community and using them to make their attempts appear to be legitimate. Anyone receiving a call like this can always hang up and contact their local law enforcement agency directly by phone.