3 Macomb County Residents Report Jury Duty Scam Calls

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — A jury duty scam is making the rounds in Macomb County, and the sheriff’s office is investigating three separate but similar incidents in which individuals posing as law enforcement officers tried to obtain money with a threat of jail, authorities said.

In each of the incidents, the attempt to defraud started with a phone call in which the caller identified himself as a law enforcement officer, then informed the resident of an outstanding fine for missing jury duty and then threatened arrest if the fine was not paid.

To reconcile the debt, the caller instructed the resident to a convenience store, purchase a money order and provide the caller with the routing number.

All three calls were placed on Wednesday to Washington Township residents, Macomb county Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in a news release. If any other Macomb County residents receive jury duty scam calls — or any suspicious solicitation call — they’re encouraged to try to remember as much detail from the conversation as possible and call their local police agencies.

“The Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating these predatory calls,” Wickersham said in a news release. “We caution everyone to be wary of any attempts to obtain money under suspicious circumstances. No law enforcement agency will demand money under threat of arrest.”

The Macomb County Circuit Court jury process is managed by the Macomb County Clerk’s Office.

“Our jury clerks never ask for money from jurors and never visit jurors homes,” County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh said, also in the news release. “We go out of our way to provide great service to over 16,000 jurors who appear in the Court Building every year.

“When these scammers are caught, we look forward to giving them an opportunity to have a jury of their peers.”

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