As if being called for jury duty weren’t bad enough.
The U.S. Marshals Service’s Utah office is warning residents about a new phishing scam where people are posing as law enforcement officers and calling victims to claim they failed to appear at court for jury duty. The caller then says there is a warrant for the person’s arrest, which the officers will carry out unless the individual can pay the “bail.”
“The callers are very convincing and intimidating and prey on victim fears,” according to a statement from the Marshals Service.
Victims are instructed to go to their bank and withdraw money — ranging from $300 to $3,000 — and buy a prepaid debit card with it. The caller then has them read off the card number.
The Marshals Service said the scam has affected “several people in Utah,” mostly older adults and individuals afraid of being arrested.
The callers typically make the victim stay on the phone with them throughout the entire exchange of purchasing the card — and threaten they’ll be considered in obstruction of justice if they hang up.
The Marshals Service is asking grocery store employees to be on the lookout for possible cases of the scam, watching for customers who are speaking on the phone while buying a prepaid card and appear to be distressed.
“Please ask them, ‘Did a police officer tell you to buy this card?’” the statement reads. “If they say ‘Yes,’ please tell them that no law enforcement officer will ever instruct anyone to purchase a prepaid debit card.”
Victims, the office adds, should hang up and reach out to police to confirm the call was a scam. They can also call the U.S. Marshals Service district in Utah at 801-524-5693.
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