DCSO alert: ‘Jury duty arrest warrant’ scam calls return

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office warned residents Sunday afternoon that the familiar “arrest warrant” scam is again hitting the area.

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

“We have also received other information two other names of actual current deputies are being used,” Bailey wrote in a news release. “Familiar names like ‘Lt. Husband’ and ‘Sgt. Bailey’ are also being used by scammers to convince our community members these phone calls are legitimate.

As in the past, Bailey reminded, “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.

“Citizens should always be skeptical of any situation where an unfamiliar person is asking for money over the telephone,” he added.

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,” Bailey 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 falling victim to this scam is through education.

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