Officials from the Los Angeles Superior Court recently learned of individuals posing as sheriff’s deputies contacting residents saying they are in contempt of court for missing jury duty and have a warrant for their arrest. The victims are told the only way to clear up the warrant is to pay the bail, in amounts from $2,000-$5,000, and once it is paid, they can go to the courthouse to get the paperwork clearing them of the warrant.
The scammers contact the victims by phone and are instructed to then go to a grocery store or Office Depot and purchase “Reloadit” cards with the money. Once purchased, the victims are told to read off the numbers on the cards to the person on the phone. The victims are then instructed to mail the cards to the local courthouse, not realizing that the cards were compromised as soon as they gave the numbers over the phone.
The scammers have been persistent in contacting victims, calling until they are able to speak with someone over the phone.
Court personnel will never contact the public over the phone to demand payment. Sensitive personal information such as a social security number is never requested by court staff. Credit card information is only requested if a member of the public contacts the Court to make a payment.
People with questions about calls or emails regarding jury service should contact the Court’s Juror Services at 1-800-778-5879.
- Submitted by the Los Angeles Superior Court