Jury Duty Scam Victimizing Linn County Residents

It's your civic responsibility, but don't let scammers make jury duty even more nerve-wracking.

On a recent Facebook post, Cedar Rapids police reported a scam using a phone number that appears to be connected to the Linn County Sheriff, but isn't. The victims are told they missed jury duty and have a warrant for their arrest.

They are then instructed to get prepaid Visa cards to send to a Washington, D.C. address to avoid arrest. The phone number that they advise the potential victims to call (319-892-3056) is not a Sheriff’s Office phone number, even though the automated recorded message purports to come from their office. Calling the number directs them to a voice mail for "Warrant Apprehension Sergeant Bradley Taylor".

The REAL Linn County Sheriff's office number is listed as (319)892-6100 and the Cedar Rapids Police number is (319)286-5491. Call one of these if you think you've been targeted by this scam.

Better yet, don't answer a number you're not familiar with and remember, law enforcement agencies won't ever call you to tell you to make any kind of purchase. The Facebook post from CRPD is below.