Missed jury duty scam phone calls claim more Oakland County victims

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A jury duty phone scam continues to make the rounds, claiming new victims according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Phone callers have been threatening victims their imminent arrest unless they make immediate payments for supposedly not showing up for jury service.

The scammers have apparently moved up the actual chain of command in the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, most recently purporting to be "Deputy" Curtis Childs, the actual undersheriff. Past callers have claimed to be deputies who furnish a badge number to appear legitimate.

Typically, the phony law enforcement person makes a bogus claim that there is an arrest warrant out for you because you failed to appear for jury duty in either federal or state court. The only way to set the warrant aside is to pay a cash bond of varying amounts – in either Bitcoin or gift cards.

Earlier this year a woman was scammed out of $18,000. Representatives from both the U.S. District Court – Eastern Michigan District in Detroit and Oakland County Circuit Court said delinquent jurors would be contacted by mail, never by phone.

The Sheriff’s Office and the courts do not accept Bitcoin or gift cards for cash bonds.

The scam first surfaced in February, continuing into April. More incidents have been reported recently, the office said. Several residents complained Monday of being contacted by these callers who threatened their arrest.

"The sheriff’s office will never, ever demand immediate payment over the phone for anything," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "Again, we’re getting reports of residents being hit with these phony calls. Just hang up."