HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A Houston woman recently received a call from a man identifying himself as a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy. The man told the woman to bring $6,000 in cash to a kiosk near the Galleria area because she had failed to appear for jury service.
Fortunately, the woman knew she had requested an exemption from jury service and suspected this was a scam call. She quickly called the police who verified this was indeed a scam.
Harris County officials want residents to know that this woman will not be the only victim of a scam concerning jury service. They said this scam is common and usually involves a person getting a phone call from somebody who identifies themselves as law enforcement. The victim is told there is a warrant for their arrest because they failed to report to jury service and they must pay a certain amount of money to avoid going to jail.
"We don’t fine people for missing jury service in Harris County," said District Clerk Marilyn Burgess. "If you receive a phone call from someone saying they are calling from the District Clerk’s Office or law enforcement and state you will be arrested unless you immediately pay a fine for not appearing for jury service, that is an illegitimate call and I advise reporting it to the sheriff's office."
Harris County issues a "Failure to Appear" notice to people who don't show up for jury duty on their summoned date. The notice will allow you to appear at a later date to avoid a fine. These notices are always sent by mail.
“The sheriff’s office will never contact you by phone for missing jury service,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “Never give your personal information to unknown callers. Limit personal identifiable information shared online and warn elderly family members and friends about these scams.”
Remember, to avoid being a victim of a jury scam, never provide personal or financial information over the phone or by email to an unverified party.
You can report jury scams to the sheriff's office by calling 713-274-9118. If you're ever in doubt about the status of your jury service, call the District Clerk's Office at 713-755-6392.