Sheriff warns of new wave of jury duty scams in Bonneville County

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies are warning people about a new wave of jury duty scams reported throughout the area on Friday.

According to multiple reports to dispatch, callers are telling victims they missed jury duty and now have a warrant out for their arrest. The callers then try to pressure people into paying money immediately to make the supposed warrant disappear.

Scammers often pose as sheriff’s deputies, court officials, or other government employees. In some cases, they use real names, phone numbers, and addresses connected to local agencies to appear legitimate.

Authorities say a major red flag is any demand for payment over the phone, especially when the caller threatens arrest. Scammers frequently request payment through bitcoin, cryptocurrency, prepaid money cards, or gift cards.

The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that neither law enforcement nor county courts collect fines over the phone or allow people to pay money to avoid arrest warrants. Matters involving warrants or court fines require direct communication with court personnel and cannot be resolved through a phone call.

Anyone who receives one of these calls is encouraged to hang up and contact the appropriate agency directly to verify the information.

People who have lost money to a scam should report it to their local law enforcement agency. Scam reports can also be filed through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Additional scam prevention resources are available on the Community Resources page at www.BonnevilleSheriff.com and through the 'Idaho Sheriff Connect' mobile app.