Jury duty scammers target Oakland County residents with arrest

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (Fox 2) - Two Oakland County residents went to the sheriff's office Monday to turn themselves in after scammers told them they were wanted for missing jury duty.

These scammers are calling victims and telling them they missed jury duty. The scammers then threaten the victims with arrest if they don't pay.

The first person said the caller told him there were two warrants for his arrest. 

The second person said the caller claimed there was a two-count warrant charging her with failure to appear. The caller also demanded she provide a $5,000 bond to avoid arrest.

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"These scams are nonstop with one common thread," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "They always demand money over the phone in some form or fashion. No law enforcement agency would do that. Whether they say it is the Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the IRS, or whatever the flavor of the day is, it is a scam! Hang up."

If you get a call saying you missed jury duty, it is a scam.

"We would send a letter to their home address," Circuit Court Administrator Richard Lynch said."We would never call."