Did you actually miss jury duty? If not, maybe don’t send money over the phone

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — Not showing up for jury duty can subject citizens to different penalties in Utah — including being found in contempt of court or even facing penalties.

However, penalties typically do not include sending money via gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers while on the phone, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department .

SLCPD said it recently received a report from someone who said that a man called and told her she missed jury duty — and that there was a warrant out for her arrest. The woman was told to go to a convenience store and send money via a wire transfer.

“Unfortunately, the victim sent several thousands of dollars thinking the caller was a legitimate member of our community public safety network,” SLCPD said in a press release.

How to avoid getting scammed

Officials issued a warning after this incident, urging community members to be aware of what is going on. SLCPD gave advice on how to avoid falling victim to a similar scam.

Police said that people should never give out their personal or financial information. SLCPD also said people should avoid putting their personal information on social media, which it said “can be a goldmine for scammers.”

Police have also cautioned people to be wary of cold calls in which the caller asks for sudden payments. SLCPD told Utahns to watch out for callers asking for payments via “gift cards, cryptocurrency, and wire transfers, including Venmo, Apple Pay, and other similar forms of payment transfers.”

People are encouraged to stop the conversation immediately and hang up if they are suspicious of the call. They are then asked to report it.

“If you ever have questions about a call or message received from someone claiming to be an SLCPD employee, hang up and call 801-799-3000 and advise the dispatcher about the incident,” SLCPD said.

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