Authorities Continue Investigating Jury Duty Scam

TYLER � Another victim has turned up in the ongoing Smith County jury duty scam. Sheriff’s spokesman John Moore updated media Wednesday, saying a woman had been taken for $2,000. Someone claiming to be with the Smith County Sheriff�s Office is contacting individuals claiming that they owe fines for missing jury duty.

Moore said a man recently contacted a person in the Whitehouse area saying that person owed a fine for missing jury duty. He instructed the individual to go to a local pharmacy and buy a pre-paid money card and then call back with the numbers on the back of the card. The person did as instructed, but was then contacted again by the man saying that the card did not go through and that the person would need to purchase another and call back with the new numbers. Before calling back with the second set of numbers, the would-be victim spoke with the Whitehouse Police Department, who advised that it was a scam. Another recent victim, a Smith County woman, was allegedly taken for $500 through the same scam tactics.

Moore reiterates that there are currently no outstanding warrants related to any jury summons and no one from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office or any other law enforcement agency is collecting fines by phone. Everyone who receives a jury summons should report for jury duty as instructed, but no member of the Smith County Sheriff�s Office or any other law enforcement agency will contact a citizen and ask for a fine to be paid in this manner. If anyone receives a similar call, please contact the Smith County Sheriff�s Office immediately at 903-566-6600.