(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public of a scam in which the caller tells the person on the other end of the line they have missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for their arrest. The scammer then sends a link to post the bond.
The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office says that while their number and other local numbers are showing up on caller I.D. that they are NOT making the calls. They add that in such a case, a legitimate summons for jury duty would be sent out through the mail from the Clerk of Court, NOT by phone.
The Sheriff’s Office says scammers may use real information about you, such as your name, address and social security number. They say scammers may also use real names of law enforcement officials, court officials and judges and that they may pressure you take action and pay money right away.
Authorities say it’s important to protect yourself. If you get such a call, don’t provide any requested information and don’t meet the caller anywhere. Instead you should report the call to local law enforcement as well as the U.S. District Court Office, Federal Trade Commission and the local FBI office in Des Moines.
