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New jury duty scam surfaces in Clark County

Updated April 15, 2021 - 1:05 pm

Clark County District Court officials are warning the community against jury duty scams. This time, the scams involve demands for cash to clear outstanding arrest warrants.

The schemes come through telephone, mail or email and sound official: They offer a police sergeant’s name, badge and phone number. They use real judges’ names to give their bogus stories credibility.

More recently, the scammers claim the unsuspecting victim has outstanding warrants due to failure to appear for jury duty. They threaten victims that they need to pay up or be criminally charged, court officials announced in a news release.

“We want to get the word out to the community about this latest scam and ask everyone to warn friends and family. The court never solicits money on the telephone,” Chief District Judge Linda Bell said in a statement. “I encourage those who receive suspicious calls with demands for money to clear warrants to report them to law enforcement.”

Callers will frequently ask victims to purchase prepaid credit cards, and they target vulnerable populations such as older adults.

The District Court website offers information on jury service at http://www.clarkcountycourts.us/ejdc/juror-information/index.html.

Those who have received a summons may reschedule jury service online at https://ejuror.clarkcountycourts.us. A jury phone line is also available at 702-455-4472. Callers should remain on the line for the operator.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.

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