Will County Sheriff Warns Of Missed Jury Duty Warrant Scam

WILL COUNTY, IL — The Will County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of a recent phone scam regarding jury duty and purported warrants.

Will County residents recently have reported individuals calling them on the phone and stating that the person has an active warrant for their arrest because they failed to appear for jury duty. The unsuspecting resident is told that if they do not pay the required fees for their bond, they will be arrested and put in jail.

"These scammers are masters of using fear techniques in order for residents to comply with their demands," the sheriff's department warns. "The scammers use various payment requests. One way to get money from the resident is they direct the resident to go to a store to purchase gift cards to cover the amount of their 'bond'. He then calls the resident back so they can provide him with the card numbers. In some cases, the scam artists have asked the resident to Venmo or Zelle the (bond) money to complete the transaction."

The scam artists might also use a phone number that appears as "Sheriff's Office" on caller ID or cell phone screens. Some have used actual names of deputies and their correct badge numbers, the department warns.

The sheriff's office does not file a warrant for your arrest for missing jury duty. If you miss jury duty, visit the Will County Clerk's website for next steps. The sheriff's office, nor any other local law enforcement agency, will not call residents to inform them of an active warrant for any minor or major crime.

The sheriff's office will never ask for payments of any kind over the phone.
Anyone who receives a similar call should hang up the phone. You may call the Sheriff’s Office at the non-emergency number to make a police report, or use the online report form at www.willcosheriff.org. To clarify if you do or do not have a warrant please visit: www.willcountywarrants.com.