Police are warning the Henderson community about jury fraud

HENDERSON, Nev. (FOX5) – Failure to perform jury duty can result in serious consequences such as fines or even prison time.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned about this type of government fraud. In 2023, the agency received almost 160,000 reports about it.

Scammers hope to extort some money to avoid handcuffs.

It starts with a call from someone pretending to be a police officer with a badge number or even a case number. They will tell their victims that their duty as a jury has been neglected and that there is now a warrant for your arrest.

However, they waive this for a fee. If the money is not paid, they threaten to be arrested.

“It is a scam that is being presented to you,” said Sergeant Ryan Jappe of the Henderson Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit.

Jappe said the scammers even pose as Henderson police officers.

If someone receives this call, no matter how real and frightening it all sounds, they will not call the police or any other government agency and demand that money be transferred immediately.

They also won’t ask for your Social Security number on the phone.

“The fear of being contacted by a government agency is sometimes enough for the victim to feel pressure to comply with what they are told,” Jappe shared.

If the call causes concern, Jappe recommended taking a breath, hanging up, finding the number of the agency the scammer supposedly works for and calling that number directly.

A real government official would have no problem checking this.

“If it’s a scam, they won’t let you hang up on them,” said Sgt. Jappe continued. “They know that if they keep you on the phone, they can continue to provide you with information.”

Just as it is illegal to skip jury duty, it is also illegal to impersonate a police officer or court official.

You can report this scam to any local police department, the Federal Trade Commission, or the FBI.

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