(Des Moines) The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office is warning the Public about jury duty scams. These scams involve scammers demanding payment or personal information to avoid arrest.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that they do not serve warrants by phone or demand payment to avoid arrest. Residents are advised not to share personal information if contacted about jury duty. The United States Marshals Service has also issued a press release regarding recent juror scams in the area, and individuals are encouraged to verify the authenticity of calls or mailings from the U.S. District Court.
The Public can watch out for criminals who may provide information about the victim, including addresses, date of birth, real names of federal judges or court employees, actual court addresses, court phone numbers, and case badge numbers. They may imitate the phone number on the caller ID so the call falsely appears to originate from a court number or a number of another government agency. Additionally, scammers may tell the victim they can avoid arrest by paying an immediate fine, walking them through purchasing a prepaid debit or gift card, or making an electronic payment to satisfy the “fine.”
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, contact the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
