Alert: ‘Jury duty warrant’ scam again hitting Central Oregon; legit deputies won’t call, ask for money, gift cards

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes and Crook County sheriff's offices are warning residents to beware of scammers calling and claiming to be deputies, seeking money or gift cards to clear supposed warrants for failure to appear for jury or grand jury.

The Crook County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday it was receiving scam reports concerning individuals posing as deputies. The scammers instruct the person they contact to send them money or gift cards to avoid being arrested on warrant/citation or if they had not shown up for grand jury.

"Know that law enforcement will not send you to the nearest store to wire them money or put money on a money card to avoid the warrant/citation," the agency advised in a Facebook post. "If you receive a phone call such as this, DO NOT provide them with any personal information and hang up immediately."

On Friday, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office again warned residents of "the recurring warrant scam hitting our area."

"We have taken numerous reports today (Friday_ from community members who were 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 wrote. "The citizen was also told they could clear up the warrant by paying the bail with pre-paid gift cards."

With the improvements in technology, law enforcement says those involved in these scams are able to utilize local Oregon phone numbers, making them appear more legitimate.

"Law enforcement will never contact a citizen and ask for money to clear up a warrant or any other legal matter," Wall warned. "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 advsied.

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 added. "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, you're asked to contact Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.