A Saginaw woman lost $4,000 after scammers claimed she had missed jury duty and needed to pay to avoid legal trouble.
The call was part of a broader jury-duty scam that local court and law enforcement officials had already warned residents about.
In the scheme, callers pose as representatives of the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office or court system and tell victims they face arrest or a bench warrant unless they pay immediately.
The Caller Used a Missed Jury Duty Claim
MLive reported that a Saginaw woman lost $4,000 to fraudsters in a jury-duty scam.
The Saginaw County Circuit Court and the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office issued a joint public safety alert on May 26 after more than a dozen residents reported similar calls.
Officials said the scammers were impersonating court and law enforcement personnel to extort money and obtain personal information. According to the alert, victims were told they missed jury duty and that a bench warrant would be issued unless they immediately paid a fine.
The demanded fines were often described as ranging from $500 to $1,000. Some callers reportedly used the name of a former Saginaw County sheriff’s deputy to make the demand sound legitimate.
The Scam Used Callbacks to Look More Convincing
Officials said the scam did not always end with the first call.
When some residents called back the number shown on caller ID, the person who answered allegedly identified the line as the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office.
The county alert said at least one resident had already paid $500 in cash, while another provided a Social Security number and bank account information.
Real Jury Duty Notices Are Handled in Writing
Saginaw County officials said the court does not call residents and threaten a bench warrant unless they make an immediate payment.
If someone fails to appear for jury service, the court’s process is to send a formal written notice. That notice may reschedule the person for jury service or direct the person to appear before the court to explain why they did not report.
Officials said no court official or law enforcement officer will demand an immediate cash payment over the phone to prevent a warrant.
Verify Jury Duty Problems Directly With the Court
Anyone who receives a jury-duty threat should hang up, avoid calling back the number shown on caller ID, and contact the court or sheriff’s office through a verified number from an official website.
People should not give a caller a Social Security number, date of birth, bank account number, debit card number, credit card number, payment app information, or gift card codes.
Saginaw County officials asked residents who receive this type of call to contact the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office at 989-790-5420. Suspected fraud can also be reported to local police, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.