JONES COUNTY – The Jones County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents about a scam in which a caller is impersonating a sheriff’s deputy and threatening arrest over missed jury duty.
Authorities said the scammer contacts potential victims by phone and claims they must pay a $3,000 fine or face arrest for failing to report for jury duty.
Investigators said the caller instructs victims not to tell anyone about the payment and directs them to purchase a debit-style gift card and provide the card number over the phone or send money through a cash transfer application.
Officials said these types of payments cannot be recovered once sent, which allows the scammer to keep the money.
The sheriff’s department said residents should not provide payment or personal information to anyone making these claims and should block the caller’s phone number if possible.
