Kaua‘i police alert public about new phone scam involving threat of arrest for missing jury duty

The Kaua‘i Police Department is warning the public about a new phone scam going around the island.

Scammers are impersonating a U.S. Marshals Service officer or state sheriff to solicit money via the phone. The callers are telling victims there is a warrant out for their arrest because they missed jury duty and the only way to avoid arrest is to pay a hefty fine.

“These calls are not legitimate,” said Assistant Police Chief Kalani Ke. “If you receive a phone call like this, do not give them your credit card number, financial or personal information. Please immediately report it to the Kaua‘i Police Department and block the number if possible.”

To make the scam appear credible, callers could use real information about the victim, real court addresses and names of court or law enforcement officials. Scammers might even manipulate the phone number displayed on caller ID to make it seem like it is coming from a court or a government agency, even though it is not.

If you are contacted by a scammer, keep in mind these preventative measures from the U.S. Marshals Service:

• The court will always send a jury summons by U.S. mail.
• The court and law enforcement will never demand payment via the phone.
• A prospective juror who disregards a jury summons will be contacted through the mail by the court clerk’s office and could, in certain circumstances, be ordered to appear before a judge. Such an order will always be in writing and signed by the judge.
• A fine will never be imposed until after the individual appears in court and is given the opportunity to explain their circumstances. If a fine is imposed, it will be in open court and reduced to writing (and will not be payable by gift card number).

The public is asked to immediately report any suspicious calls to the Police Department by calling dispatch at 808-241-1711.