Jury duty scams are again hitting Texas. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of calls to residents in which scammers are aggressively accusing them of failing to show up for jury duty and claiming that a fine must be paid to avoid arrest.
The scammers claim to be a sergeant or a lieutenant—using real names and ranks of TCSO officers—and demand payment through a wire transfer or gift cards. In some instances, scammers will give an address for the county’s tax office to arrange a payment drop off.
The scammers are not affiliated with a court or law enforcement.
The sheriff’s office says it does not make phone calls to residents regarding jury duty and never asks for payment via wire transfer of gift cards. All communication regarding jury duty will come directly from the Travis County District Clerk’s Office and will be sent in writing by mail.
In September, a rash of calls spread across the state. In one instance, a Houston attorney sent $1,000 to scammers after they claimed there was a warrant out for his arrest for missing jury duty. This month, calls are targeting the West Lake Hills area from scammers originating out of state and even out of country. National law enforcement agencies are pursuing leads.
If you receive a suspicious phone call from someone demanding payment, contact the Travis County Sheriff’s Office at (512) 854-9770.