Familiar ‘jury duty’ warrant scam calls are back again, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office warns

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office said Thursday it "would like to again warn the citizens of Deschutes County of the recurring warrant scam hitting our area."

"We have taken numerous reports today from a community member who was contacted by a subject who identified themselves as a member of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and asked for money to clear up a warrant issued after missing jury duty," Sergeant Jason Wall said.

"The citizen was also told they could clear up the warrant by paying the bail with pre-paid gift cards," he added.

With the improvements in technology, law enforcement has recognized the subjects involved in these scams are able to utilize local Oregon phone numbers, making the scam appear more legitimate, the sergeant said.

Wall reminded that "law enforcement will never contact a citizen 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 this scam information with others.

"Unfortunately, we have had community members fall victim to this scam in the past, and we would like to prevent anyone else from falling victim in the future," Wall said. "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."

If you have fallen prey to this or similar scams and have lost money as a result, please contact Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.