Sheriff warns of spoofed jury duty calls demanding payment by app or Bitcoin
A Pennsylvania sheriff's office says scammers are copying its phone number to claim people missed jury duty. Many callers have already lost thousands, according to Local21 News.
In short
- What happened?
- According to Local21 News, scammers spoofing a Pennsylvania sheriff's office number tell people they missed jury duty or face a warrant. Around half of those who call the office about it have already lost thousands.
- What was the warning sign?
- A caller who appears to be from a law enforcement office demands payment by Venmo, Zelle, Bitcoin or prepaid cards, which the sheriff says his office would never do.
- What can you do?
- Hang up on a threatening call, never send money or banking details, and report it to law enforcement. If you want to check, look up the office's number yourself and call back.
What happened
According to Local21 News, the Dauphin County Sheriff's Office in Pennsylvania has been hearing from three to five people a day who say they were the victims of a scam. Sheriff Nick Chimienti Jr. said callers pretend to be law enforcement officers and tell people they failed to appear for jury duty or missed a court date. Some also claim there is a warrant out for the person.
The sheriff said his office receives six to 10 calls a day about these scams. Around half of those callers have already lost thousands of dollars, and the rest ring to check whether they are being scammed.
The report says the scammers make the call appear to come from the sheriff's office by spoofing its phone number, so the number on the screen can look genuine. They are also said to copy the tone and language of local officers. Victims are asked to pay through Venmo, Zelle, Bitcoin and prepaid money cards. Once someone has paid, the sheriff said, the caller often asks for more, and may claim federal warrants now exist.
The sheriff said tracking the callers is hard because many operate outside the country. His office is working with other agencies, including the FBI.
Warning signs
- A caller says you missed jury duty or a court appearance, or that a warrant exists, and you were not expecting it.
- The number on screen looks like a real local office. The report explains that numbers can be spoofed.
- You are asked to pay by an app, Bitcoin or prepaid cards. The sheriff said his office will never ask for money through online banking apps.
- The caller presses you to act at once, then asks for a second, larger payment shortly after the first.
What families can do
- Hang up on any threatening call that claims to be from the sheriff's office, and report it. This is the sheriff's advice.
- Never send money or share banking details with a caller who contacts you unexpectedly.
- If you want to check, look up the office's number yourself and call it, rather than using a number the caller gives you.
- Talk about this kind of call with older relatives and teenagers, so that nobody feels they must decide alone or in a rush.
- If you have already paid, contact your bank and the police as soon as you can. Being caught out does not mean you were careless.
A call that looks official is hard to judge in the moment. QuietGuard's call protection lets only the people you have named as trusted ring through, while other calls stay silent and appear in a quiet log you can read later. That gives you time to think before returning a call. It cannot tell you whether a caller is genuine, and it is no substitute for talking to family or reporting a scam to the police or your bank.
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