Westminster, Md. (KM) — If you receive a call claiming you’ve missed jury duty and there’s a bench warrant for your arrest, you’re not alone. Heather Dewees, Clerk of the Circuit Court in Carroll County, warns that these calls are scams.
“The scammer’s phone number might appear as 410-386-8710 or 410-386-5900, as they manipulate the caller ID to mimic the Clerk’s Office or the Sheriff’s Office,” Dewees explained.
She emphasized that these calls are not from the Sheriff’s Office or the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. “Scammers may claim to be from the Carroll County Clerk’s Office and demand payment through cash apps or Zelle. However, the Clerk’s Office does not accept mobile payment apps, and jury duty is handled by the Jury Commissioner, not my office,” she clarified.
The scammers often instruct victims to pay fines over the phone, but Dewees stressed that neither her office nor the Sheriff’s Office accepts payments by phone. “The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office does not use automated systems for missed jury duty payments, and the Clerk’s Office will never call to inform someone of a bench warrant. Official communications are done via the U.S. Postal Service,” she said.
Some scammers may even impersonate actual employees of the Sheriff’s or Clerk’s Office to sound convincing. Dewees advised, “Do not call back any number provided by a potential scammer.”
If you receive such a call and are concerned, Dewees recommends hanging up and directly contacting the Sheriff’s Office or Clerk’s Office using the official numbers listed on their websites.
