The Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is warning residents about phone scams in which callers pose as deputies and demand money.
Scammers have been calling people claiming they owe fines for missed jury duty or have active warrants, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. Some callers impersonate real deputies by name.
MCSO said missing jury duty does not result in an arrest warrant. Deputies will never call to demand payment over the phone.
"We will never call you to say you have to pay for missing jury duty," the sheriff's office wrote.
The scammers can spoof caller ID to display "Marion County Sheriff's Office" or a real employee's name, according to the post. The office listed several red flags residents should watch for:
- Demands for payment by gift card, Bitcoin or other electronic transfer
- Requests to meet at gas stations, kiosks or parking lots to hand over money
- Claims about missed jury duty or active warrants as a reason for the call
The sheriff's office said it does not collect payments at informal locations and would never ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency.
If someone did have an active warrant, deputies would show up in person rather than phone ahead, the sheriff's office said.
Residents who receive a suspicious call should hang up and contact the sheriff's office non-emergency line directly at 503-588-5032 to verify whether the call was legitimate.
