Jury Duty Scam

DATE & TIME: 07-18-2018 @ 1455

LOCATION: Beatrice, Nebraska

OFFENSE: Jury Duty Scam

CASE #: 2018-3641

A resident of Beatrice called the sheriff’s office and was very upset about a phone call she had received.  She told a Gage County Sheriff’s Office investigator a male had called her stating she was going to be arrested and needed to pay two $250.00 bonds for missing jury duty in December 2017 and June 2018. The victim was upset by this and told the suspect she should not have to serve on a jury because she was not a registered voter. The suspect replied, without any hesitation, that when she signed for her driver’s license that automatically registered her to vote. Not being intimately familiar with the voter registration process, the victim believed him.

She states the suspect told her to stay on her cell phone and head to the 3^rd floor of the courthouse where she could pay the bond/fines. The Beatrice resident stated the caller had an extensive amount of knowledge of her personal history and background and she was worried and upset until she called the sheriff’s office and was informed it was a scam. She stated her brother, who lives across town in Beatrice, also received a scam phone call, possibly from the same suspect. 

The victim did not lose any money and was advised to monitor her credit and banking accounts, as well as contacting her financial institution and tell them about the attempted scam.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office has noted an increased trend in scam phone calls recently, sometimes the victims receive several phone calls a day. Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call may call their local police department or call the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and ask to speak with an investigator.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310