Fort Bend County Sheriff Looking for Phone Scammer

Sugar Land, TX -- The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers are looking for information about a scammer who is preying on area residents.

The unidentified male is contacting residents and claiming to be a representative of the sheriff's office. He told a 78-year-old woman that she missed jury duty and that a warrant was issued for her arrest.

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When the woman said she never received a summons the scammer told her that it was mailed on April 11. The scammer then repeated the woman's address, states that she is a member of a pool of 200 jurors and reminds her that a judge issued a warrant for her arrest.

The jury duty scam, as it is known, is often used to gather personal information, such as social security or credit card numbers, for identity theft. The scam dates back to at least 2006 and is so widespread that multiple law enforcement agencies have issued warnings about it.

The Fort Bend County District Clerk's office has a warning on its website stating that the office will never call and ask for sensitive information.