Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Mike Reuter is warning residents to watch out for a scammer claiming to be a deputy who calls local residents and asks them to pay fines for not appearing for jury duty.
“The weekend of (Sept. 12), a person posing as a sergeant of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office contacted several residents (and) informed (them) that a judge of the 23rd Judicial Circuit had issued a warrant for them for ‘failure to appear for jury duty,’ Reuter said today in a written statement. “The person then advised the residents that they could ‘take care of the fines’ over the phone with a credit card or debit card.”
Reuter said the scammer told one resident to go to a cash center and then call back with the account number so fines could be paid that way.
Reuter said residents will never be called about fines for not appearing for jury duty.
“The Circuit Clerk’s Office sends correspondence through the U.S. Postal Service to residents to inform them of any kind of notice and does not call residents with notices,” he said.
He asks anyone who has received a call from someone asking for payment over the phone for court fines to call the Sheriff’s Office at 636-797-5515 or the Missouri Attorney General’s office at 800-392-8222 to file a report.