Jury Duty and fine scams continue to prey on senior citizens and other area locals

Douglas County residents continue to receive scam phone calls about missed court dates and jury duties, resulting in two residents being scammed out of over $5,,000 each, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO).

The scams are targeting senior citizens for several reason according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). They are perceived to have a “nest egg” in cash, own their home, and have excellent credit. Seniors were raised in their generation to be polite and trusting. Con artists use these traits to exploit their victims. Older Americans are less likely to report that they have been scammed, due to a lack of knowledge of who to report it to, or simply embarrassed. Sometimes older Americans have memory problems and cannot remember important details to be an effective witness to assist law enforcement in finding the criminal.

DCSO is repeating the warning about these type of calls. The calls may appear local on the resident’s caller ID, but they may be computer “spoofed” to show a local number. The caller tells their intended victim there is a fine now due and a warrant has been issued for their arrest.

The criminal caller states to avoid incarceration they need to satisfy the bail on the warrant by asking for a credit card or it can be paid by buying gift cards at a store. After the purchase of the gift cards, the victim gives the numbers on the gift card to the scammer and the scammer immediately redeems them.

DCSO or any other law enforcement agency will NEVER call the public to notify them that they owe money on a warrant or fine. The public is encouraged to hang up on those calls and never give out personal information on the phone. The Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone to communicate with your friends, neighbors and relatives and share this information on these ruthless scammers preying on the population of Douglas County.