The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office warns the “Jury Duty” scam has returned.
Someone is calling residents of the county, claiming to be with the sheriff’s office, telling you that you've missed jury duty and a citation has been issued.
The scammers use a system making it appear they're calling you from a number at the sheriff’s office. They demand that you pay a “fine” immediately, or someone will be coming to arrest you within the hour.
They will often ask you to buy some form of a gift card and read the numbers to them. Other times they may tell you to transfer money directly from your bank account, or even purchase Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency to transfer to them.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are nearly impossible to trace or recover once transferred, because the transactions are anonymous. While bank and credit/debit card transactions have federal laws governing them to protect consumers from theft, cryptocurrency has no protections and is not regulated, so once the money is spent to purchase it, it's gone.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone that no law enforcement agency will ever contact you and make you pay a fine over the telephone; just hang up the phone. Never give out your Social Security number, credit or debit card, or bank account information over the phone unless you were the one who called to purchase or pay for something.
With the Christmas shopping season underway, scams will become more prevalent. Shoppers need to be vigilant to ensure they don’t become the victim of scams or identity theft.