Schuylkill County President Judge, Sheriff Warn of Scam Targeting Jurors

Schuylkill County residents are being warned about another scam that is targeting residents right now.

At Wednesday’s Schuylkill County Salary Board meeting, President Judge Jacqueline Russell made an appearance to warn the public of this ongoing scam.

It’s a phone scam that targets recent jurors and people who might have been called for Jury Duty but didn’t show.

The Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office also warned residents recently of the same scam or one very similar.

Here’s how the scam is perpetrated:

• You’ll get a call from a phone number that appears to be coming from the Courthouse.
• The person on the other line will tell you that you’ve missed a Jury Duty date and that you need to pay $5,000.

There are instructions on how to pay this supposed fine.

However, this is not real. It’s definitely a scam.

Russell said Wednesday that she’s aware of one person who withdrew money from their bank account, attempted to follow through with the instructions sent by the scammers, but realized it was a scam before going forward with remitting payment to the scammer.

The Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office has received several phone calls recently saying they’ve been marked by scammers with a similar scheme. They say it may indicate that a person has missed a federal Jury Duty date.

“What I’m concerned about are the people who were just called to Jury Duty. A lot appeared. Many don’t appear,” Russell said.

Russell added that some of the people who’ve reported getting a call from scammers were just on the jury list for the most recent trial term at Schuylkill County Courthouse, which ended last week.

According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, juror scams are quite common. People may be targeted by phone, email, or text message and be demanded to pay a penalty or submit personal information. They’re threatened with fines and jail time if they don’t comply.

Sheriff Joseph Groody instructs anyone receiving these calls locally to contact his office.

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