DCSO alert: ‘Jury duty’ scam making the rounds again

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office warned the public on Wednesday that a recurrent phone scam has hit the area once again, as a fake “deputy” claims the call recipient missed jury duty and must pay to clear a warrant.

“We have received several calls today from community members who have been contacted by a subject who identifies himself as ‘Deputy Brian Moore with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office’ and asks for money to clear up a warrant issued after missing jury duty,” Sgt. William Bailey said.

“We have also received information that citizens are being asked to self-report to the Sheriff’s Office and pay the fine/bail at a kiosk in our lobby,” he added.

Bailey said law enforcement will never contact a citizen by phone and ask for money to clear up a warrant or any other legal matter.

“If a citizen has a warrant, a member of a law enforcement agency will likely contact you in person and have the proper credentials to identify themselves,” he said. “Citizens should always be skeptical of any situation where an unfamiliar person is asking for money over the telephone.”

The sheriff’s office also asked community members to share the scam information with others.

“Unfortunately, we have had community members fall victim to this scam in the past,” Bailey said, “and we would like to prevent anyone else from falling victim in the future. Consider talking with a neighbor, calling a friend or family member and/or sharing this information on social media. The best way to prevent someone from falling victim to this scam is through education.”

The sheriff’s office also asked anyone who recently received a similar scam phone call and has not already shared the info with the agency to call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 and ask to speak to a deputy.