No, You Didn't Miss Jury Duty; Don't Pay $1,500: Scam

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A man claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy has been calling Wayne County residents threatening them with arrest if they don’t pay a $1,500 penalty for failing to show up for jury duty.

Sheriff Benny Napoleon warned Thursday the whole thing is a scam, but a number of residents have called the sheriff’s and local police departments, Wayne County Circuit Court and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office letting them know they were almost taken in.

The caller uses various aliases, including Deputy Mike Harris and Deputy James Marshall, Napoleon said in a news release. The caller instructs his potential victims to purchase a prepaid debit card in the amount of $1,500, call him back with the card numbers and then show up at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice to get a refund.

The scammer was so convincing that at least one woman from Livonia did as instructed, Napoleon said.

Fortunately for her, she called a friend to relate what had happened. The friend instructed her to call the prosecutor’s office, which intervened in time to notify store official at Kroger’s, who canceled the funds on the card before they could be accessed, Napoleon said.

Once the scammer accesses the funds, getting them back can be difficult because burner cell phones and Internet lines are often used, he said.

“What makes this particularly disturbing is they’re using the courts and law enforcement to scam law abiding citizens, and the victims tend to be seniors,” Napoleon said in the news release. “With the holidays upon us these criminals are likely to ramp up their efforts so we’re hoping to warn the public about this latest con so they can hang up the moment that person starts talking.”

Deputies and court officials will never call residents with a request for money, he said

“If you do miss any type of appearances you will always be notified in writing and requested to correct the situation at court,” the sheriff said. “Individuals who receive calls of this type should take note of the details and contact their local police immediately.”