Full Notification

(Harris County, TX) – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public about an ongoing scam involving suspects contacting victims by telephone claiming to be law enforcement officers collecting fines for phony missed jury service.

The HCSO first warned the public about such a scam several months ago and has been prevalent the last few years in the Harris County area.

The scammer will try to intimidate the victim by threatening to put the victim in jail if the money is not paid.

The impersonator will ask the victim to purchase pre-paid gift cards and provide him/her with the card information when he/she calls back. In most cases, the victim has no knowledge of any jury service summons being issued to them.

In some cases the scammer falsely claims to be a Deputy or Lieutenant with the Harris county Sheriff’s Office, and use real names of employees of the Sheriff’s Office.

However, it is important to know that the Harris County Sheriff’s Office does not solicit or collect money for unpaid tickets, fees, or any other type of collections over the phone.

If you receive such a phone call, never give any personal information such as birthdates or social security numbers
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Make the scammer answer your questions
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Always get a call back phone number and never send money to anyone you don’t know
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Anyone who has been a victim of this scam is urged to call the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Financial Crime unit at 713-374-9210