Salem, OR – Residents across Marion County are being warned today about a growing phone scam involving callers falsely claiming to be deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The agency says reports have climbed in recent days, with scammers telling victims they must pay fines for allegedly missing jury duty.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the callers use aggressive tactics—often demanding immediate payment through gift cards, Bitcoin, or other untraceable methods. Deputies stressed they will never call to request payment over the phone and will not ask residents to meet at gas stations, kiosks, parking lots, or other unusual locations to hand over money.
Officials say scammers are also spoofing caller ID to display the name “Marion County Sheriff’s Office,” or even using the name of an actual employee to make the call seem legitimate. Anyone who receives a suspicious call is urged to hang up immediately and contact the sheriff’s non-emergency line at 503-588-5032 to verify the claim.
Common scam scripts include claims of “missed jury duty,” “active warrants,” or threats of arrest. The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that missing jury duty does not result in an arrest warrant and that deputies would never call ahead to warn a person of a real warrant—they would arrive in person.
Residents are reminded that no payment is ever required to prevent arrest and that law enforcement will not use cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers for any official purpose. The agency encourages the public to rely on instinct: if anything feels off, hang up and call directly.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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