Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard has issued a warning about a phone scam where the caller falsely claims an arrest warrant has been issued because you’ve missed jury duty.
The scammer typically will ask for a cash bond to be submitted, either through bitcoin or gift cards, to set aside the bogus warrant, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Recently, approximately 15 Rochester Hills residents reported such suspicious calls by people posing as the sheriff’s office personnel. None of them fell for it, however.
Bouchard said anyone who gets such a scam call should just hang up.
“The sheriff’s office will never demand immediate payment over the phone. Ever,” he said.
One potential victim reported an overly aggressive caller who claimed to be a deputy — and he even furnished a fake badge number, the sheriff’s office said.
Representatives from both the U.S. District Court – Eastern Michigan District in Detroit and Oakland County Circuit Court remind residents that delinquent jurors are contacted by mail, never by phone. Also, the sheriff’s office and courts don’t accept bitcoin or gift cards for cash bonds.