Jury scam strikes again in Santa Cruz County

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is warning county residents about a phone scam that’s been perpetrated throughout the area.

In this particular scam, an unknown suspect calls a resident and pretends to be a member of law enforcement. The caller then tells the resident that there is a warrant for their arrest for failing to appear for jury duty.

The caller pretends to be a sheriff’s lieutenant and then tells the victim that they need to pay a fee or they will be arrested.

The suspect then asks for the victim’s cell hone number and instructs the victim to pay the fee by purchasing a “green dot money card” in the specified amount at a local Rite Aid store.

The suspect also tells the victim that they may get their money refunded if it turns out the failure to appear for jury duty was a misunderstanding. The suspect warns the resident that they will be tracking their cellphone to make sure the resident is following through with purchasing the green card.

Deputies ask any county residents who receive such a call to report it to 471-1121.