Highlights

• Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office reports current jury duty scam targeting Louisiana residents with arrest threats
• Scammers demand payment through Green Dot cards or Bitcoin kiosks to "expedite the process"
• Recent Baton Rouge victim almost lost $3,500 to scammers posing as sheriff's deputies
• Federal courts and law enforcement never demand immediate phone payments or request prepaid cards
• Multiple Louisiana parishes report resurgence of this scam targeting residents across the state

Got a Warning About Missing Jury Duty? Louisiana Sheriff's Office Warns of Bitcoin Scam

Louisiana residents warned as cryptocurrency payment demands signal escalating jury duty fraud

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KPEL News) — Multiple law enforcement agencies are beginning to warn citizens of a jury duty scam that is cropping up in the parish, with scammers demanding payment through Green Dot cards or Bitcoin to avoid arrest.

According to Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office PIO Tommy Carnline, local citizens are being targeted by phone calls threatening them with arrest and prosecution for failing to comply with jury service in federal or state courts.

The scam has evolved to include cryptocurrency payment demands, making it more difficult for victims to recover stolen funds.

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What Louisiana Families Need to Know About This Scam

In the calls, recipients are pressured to bring a "fine payment" for missing jury duty to the Parish or Federal Courthouse in Alexandria. Then the victim receives a phone call to "expedite the process" to put the money on a Visa card or go to a kiosk that converts cash to bitcoin.

The scam's impact hit close to home when Kirkland Collier of Baton Rouge almost fell victim to these tactics on August 6. Collier says he got a call from a Baton Rouge phone number claiming to be from a deputy with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. Following the caller's instructions, Collier withdrew $3,500 from his bank account and followed directions to an address that ended up being a gas station on Plank Road.

READ MORE: Louisiana Citizens Reminded to Not Click Link Sent to Phone

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana emphasizes that valid warrants will always be served in person by a U.S. Marshal or other law enforcement officer. The Court does not call, e-mail, or send a fax to tell you a warrant has been issued.

How Louisiana Law Enforcement is Responding

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Stitch Guillory has warned residents that this scam has resurfaced in Southwest Louisiana, with victims reporting phone calls stating they have missed jury duty or have other legal issues and owe fees. The call may appear to be coming from the sheriff's office phone number, making victims believe it is legitimate.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office says its investigators are working two separate cases in which a caller poses as a deputy or other law enforcement officer, claiming the victim has missed federal jury duty and can avoid arrest by paying a fine.

The Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office has also issued warnings about individuals presenting themselves as Ascension Parish deputies and calling residents to tell them they missed jury duty, with residents told there is a warrant for their arrest. The scammers instruct victims to pay money by depositing cash into a kiosk to avoid arrest.

Warning Signs Louisiana Residents Should Recognize

This scam usually starts with a phone call or an email from someone claiming to be from the police department or a court official claiming you missed jury duty, even though you never got a jury duty notice. They'll tell you there's a warrant out for your arrest, and the only way to cancel it is to pay a fine.

Key red flags include:

• Demands for immediate payment over the phone
• Insistence that you can only pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer service
• Requests for personal information such as a mother's maiden name or bank account number
• Mentions of "signature verification" processes, which are fake legal procedures designed to make the scam sound official

According to the Federal Trade Commission, legitimate courts never ask you to pay over the phone and never ask potential jurors for sensitive information over the phone, like your Social Security number or birthdate. Only scammers insist on payments through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer services.

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What Happens Next for Louisiana Court Systems

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana provides a verification number at (504) 589-7730 during normal business hours to speak with a member of the Jury Unit for anyone wanting to verify if a call or mailing came from the court.

If you believe that you have been the victim of fraud or have received a scam phone call, contact your local police or sheriff's department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (504-816-3000), or the United States Marshals Service (504-589-6079).

It's not just local. The FBI is warning folks about several scams that target you in scary ways. See more below.