Oakland County Sheriff's Office warns of jury duty scam: "Hang up"
(CBS DETROIT) - The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is warning of a scam in which the caller claims residents missed jury duty and threatens to arrest them or asks for a cash bond.
The warning comes after two residents turned themselves in to the sheriff's office for arrest warrants that didn't exist.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard says the caller identified himself as a deputy and threatened to arrest the residents for not appearing for jury duty. The caller told one of the residents that there were two warrants for his arrest, while the residents said the caller claimed there was a two-count warrant for her arrest and demanded she pay a $5,000 bond, according to the sheriff's office.
"These scams are nonstop with one common thread," Bouchard said in a statement. "They always demand money over the phone in some form or fashion. No law enforcement agency would do that. Whether they say it is the Sheriff's Office, the FBI, the IRS, or whatever the flavor of the day is, it is a scam. Hang up."
Authorities say jurors are contacted via mail, never by phone.
"We would send a letter to their home address," said Oakland County Circuit Court administrator Richard Lynch in a statement. "We would never call."
