HARRISBURG, Pa.–The Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a jury duty scam after a local resident lost $500 after falling for the scam.
Over the past few days, the sheriff’s office has received numerous complaints about scammers telling residents they are in contempt of court after failing to show up for jury duty at the Dauphin County Courthouse. The callers claim that a judge has issued an arrest warrant and the resident will be taken directly to prison if they don’t purchase a pre-paid Money Pak Card loaded with $2,000.
In one case, a local resident gave the scammers the code of the card and ended up losing $500. Authorities say the victim then realized it was a scam and refused to give the card numbers for the remainder of the $1,500 in cards they purchased.
“These calls are bogus and do not originate from the Dauphin County Sheriff’s office,” said Sheriff Nicholas Chimienti Jr. “If you or someone you know receives a threatening call from someone claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office, do not share any sensitive information with them and report the call.
Chimienti adds that his office does not require anyone to provide sensitive information in any telephone call, nor do they ask anyone to purchase a monetary device to avoid arrest.
Anyone receiving a suspicious call should file a complaint regarding these or other scams by calling their local police or the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection’s toll-free helpline number at 1-800-441-2555.
