MUSKEGON, Mich. – Several people from Muskegon have been hit with a jury duty scam.
According to Muskegon County Sheriff, Dean Roesler several people have called the department saying that they have received phone calls and emails telling them that they have missed jury duty. The message concludes by telling people that they must pay a $500.00 fine or spend 30 days behind bars.
It’s all part of a scam called the Humor Hotline.
“This ‘humor’ hotline is anything but humorous,” Roesler said. “Even though this phone call suggests to ‘pay it forward’ I would remind citizens that it is a misdemeanor crime to use the telephone to harass, annoy, threaten, intimidate, or otherwise intentionally disrupt a person’s peace.”
Some of the victims have also been told that a warrant is out for their arrest.
If anyone receives a call that says they’ve missed jury duty, make sure the person is identified as a Muskegon County jury clerk.
6 Comments to “Alert: Jury Duty Scam”
January 24, 2013 at 7:13 PM
Thank you FOX 17 and Sheriff, Dean Roesler for the info. i am from Muskegon and we don't need this type of thing going around and it isn't a funny joke.
January 24, 2013 at 7:29 PM
Then tell your cousin Dick to stop pranking everyone.
January 24, 2013 at 7:16 PM
Wow. This is got to be one of the worst "news" articles I've seen recently. Really? You're reporting a joke call as a scam? How much money have people been scammed out of? You didn't mention in the article…
January 24, 2013 at 7:24 PM
come on people… lighten up!!!! its a joke. you know? Humor???
January 27, 2013 at 4:52 AM
I'm not surprised. I got a call like that, too. Told me I'm about to face jail time for failing to appear for jury duty. Had I not heard about this scam before, i might have panicked and paid the "fine" the fake officer was asking me to pay. But i knew it was a bluff and hung up. I got the caller's phone number and posted a warning at Callercenter.com about the phone number.