Crime & Safety

Beware Of 'Jury Duty Scam,' Montgomery County Police Tells Residents

Police officers have seen an increase in reports of scammers calling county residents and obtaining money by using a "jury duty scam."

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Montgomery County Police Department has seen an increase in reports of scammers calling county residents and obtaining money by using a "jury duty scam" police said Monday.

During this telephone scam, the scammer calls a resident and says they are a law enforcement officer. The caller tells the victim that there is a warrant for their arrest because they missed jury duty. The suspect then tells the victim that they can pay a fine to void the warrant. The fine can be paid by providing credit card or prepaid debit card information over the telephone or by sending payment via wire transfer.

Under no circumstances will members of the Montgomery County Police Department or Montgomery County Sheriff's Office tell residents that they can pay a fine to void a warrant, police said.

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Persons receiving such a telephone call or email should not provide the requested information, and should notify the Montgomery County Police Department at (301) 279-8000.

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