Authorities warn of scammers posing as Michigan deputies, threatening arrest for missed jury duty
(CBS DETROIT) - Detroit-area authorities are alerting residents as a scam involving threats over missing jury duty continues circulating.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is warning residents of the scam, which surfaced in February and April and has continued to affect residents.
Scammers are calling residents, posing as deputies, and threatening to arrest you unless you immediately make a payment to pay a bond for missing jury duty in federal or state court. The scammers ask residents to make payments of varying amounts, in either Bitcoin or gift cards.
On Monday, several residents received these scam calls, in which the perpetrator posed as Oakland County Deputy Curtis Childs, the department's actual undersheriff.
In the past, scammers also furnished badge numbers to make themselves seem legitimate.
Earlier this month, a woman in Troy was scammed out of $13,500 after receiving calls related to this scheme. This victim had told police she was skeptical about it being a scam but said it had seemed real because the caller ID came up as the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.