Court officials warn of phone scam about jury duty

Clark County court officials are warning residents of a common phone scam in which the caller impersonates a sheriff’s deputy and demands money for missed jury service.

One man who recently fell victim to the scam paid $1,000 after he was told he had missed jury duty and would be arrested. He then contacted the court and discovered it was a scam, Clark County sheriff’s Deputy Jon Shields said in an email Tuesday. The sheriff’s office is investigating, and any other victims are encouraged to come forward.

Court and jury administrators began receiving calls Monday from a couple of people who were targeted, and a third person came to the courthouse Tuesday after talking with scammers, Jury Coordinator Kirsten Morrisey said.

In the calls, people are instructed to pay a fictitious fine over the phone using prepaid cards. Morrisey said that in the past people have been told to appear before a judge on a fictitious docket to get their money back.

“The jury office does not call people asking for money. That’s just not what we do. That’s not how we manage that. We would always communicate with paper documentation through the mail,” Morrisey said.

Scammers have also been known to tell residents they missed a court date, or there is a warrant for their arrest and ask for money as a fee to quash the warrant.

They often demand hundreds or thousands of dollars, Morrisey said.

“And that’s a 100 percent scammer phone call,” she said. “They shouldn’t give anyone any money.”

Anyone who receives a call of this nature should report it to jury administration at 360-397-2049. The courthouse will be closed Monday for Memorial Day, but people can also report scam calls to the sheriff’s office.