Las Vegas police warn of jury duty-based phone scam

Unknown call (Adobe Stock)

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on Tuesday warned the public via social media about a phone scam based on the requirement to attend a jury conference.

The LVMPD, U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI’s Las Vegas office said they have become aware of several nationwide phone scams in which callers pose as law enforcement officers.

According to LVMPD, the calls look like they come from official numbers, and the scammers often provide information such as duty numbers, names of real police officers and federal judges, or court addresses. The scammers have also used the names of LVMPD officers.

In this scam, the caller attempts to intimidate the victim into paying a fine for missed jury duty, identity theft, or other offenses in order to avoid arrest.

The LVMPD advises the public that law enforcement and government officials will never:

• Ask for credit/debit/gift card numbers
• Request your bank code and account number for electronic transfers
• Request deposits in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies for any purpose
• Providing personal or financial information to unknown callers

The LVMPD said you should report scam calls to your local FBI office and the Federal Trade Commission. You can remain anonymous when reporting.

Police also recommend that you authenticate the call by calling the clerk of court or law enforcement agency in your area and verifying the court order or other information provided by the caller.