Jury Duty Phone Scam Targets Washington Residents

The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a jury duty phone scam reported twice in the past week.

In both cases, callers claimed the victims failed to appear for jury duty in Spokane and demanded payment to avoid arrest. Typically, residents are only summoned for jury duty outside their home county in federal court cases.

Scammers attempted to extort between $2,000 and $20,000, threatening immediate arrest if payment was not made and instructing victims to report to the sheriff’s office.

One caller falsely identified himself as Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Lee Miller, badge number 0238. Officials say there is no Sgt. Lee Miller with the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, and it remains unclear which agency the scammer was referencing.

Authorities stress that local and federal courts and law enforcement will never threaten arrest or demand payment over the phone for missing jury duty. Residents should never provide financial information, should hang up immediately, independently verify the claim, and report the incident to local authorities.

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