SAN ANTONIO – Despite a moratorium on jury service with no in-person jury trials being held, scam artists are trying to take advantage of the way the jury service system currently operates.
Bexar County Administrative Judge Ron Rangel said jury summons are only being sent for grand jury service and for one virtual trial per week.
So, if you get a call from someone claiming to be from Bexar County Jury Services who wants money, hang up the telephone.
Scam artists are once again calling residents claiming they have missed jury duty and therefore have an outstanding warrant for their arrest, Rangel said.
The callers try to intimidate the person by telling them if they do not pay a certain fine they will be arrested.
In order to avoid the arrest, the scammer tells the person to buy a Green Dot card or money orders for the alleged fine.
Officials said the callers sound very convincing and may mention the names of judges or other officials.
While a resident who fails to appear for jury duty may face penalties, the county will never request people to pay a fine at a commercial store or make threats of an arrest over the telephone, officials said.
Any questions or concerns about this scam or if someone has been contacted about missed jury duty is asked to call the Central Jury Office at 210-335-2667.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office issued a similar warning last week about a similar scam.