Klamath County, OR – The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a phone scam involving fake jury duty warrants and payment demands.
According to the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, deputies have received three separate reports within the past week of callers posing as law enforcement and claiming victims have missed jury duty.
The scammers allegedly call from a 541-area code and identify themselves as deputies from the Sheriff’s Office. Victims are told a warrant has been issued for their arrest because they failed to report for jury duty and must make an immediate payment to avoid being taken into custody.
Investigators say the callers typically instruct victims to withdraw cash from their bank accounts and remain on the phone while doing so. The scammers then text barcodes and direct victims to stores such as Fred Meyer, Walmart, Dollar General, or Dollar Tree, where the barcodes are scanned.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the barcodes correspond to Vanilla prepaid debit cards, allowing scammers to collect the money once the codes are processed.
In several reported cases, victims allegedly remained on the phone with the caller for more than four hours while being guided through the payment process. They were then told to drive to the Sheriff’s Office with proof of payment. Once the victim arrived, the caller reportedly hung up.
Authorities emphasize that law enforcement will never demand payment over the phone or request prepaid debit cards.
Residents who receive similar calls are advised to hang up immediately and contact their local law enforcement agency directly.
The warning may be especially relevant for students, young workers, and first-time jury recipients who may be unfamiliar with court procedures.
Officials are encouraging residents to share the warning to help prevent additional victims.
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