Cole County Sheriff warns of jury duty scam

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County Sheriff is warning residents of a jury duty scam where callers are once again posing as deputies.

A Monday press release from the sheriff’s office, the scam involves scammers calling residents while falsely identifying themselves as deputies. The scammer tells the victims that they either missed jury duty or court date and must pay with Bitcoin or gift cards. The release states that scammers threaten to “come get” the victim, if they don’t pay.

“This is a scam and people should not pay this money. Also, we do not take bitcoin or gift cards as payment. If they are asking for either one, it is a scam,” the release states. “If in doubt, call our office at 573-634-9160 or look up the number for the court clerk or law enforcement agency of whomever the scammers are supposed to be representing. Do not use the number the individuals give you. Do not go by the call back information on the phone, those can be altered. They sound very authentic and are very pushy.”

“Remember, we will not call you and tell you if you have a warrant. We show up, in person and serve it.”