By Tim Clifford

Just before October the West Seattle Herald reported about a telephone scam in which the caller claims to be a representative from King County calling about missed jury duty. Now the King County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents not to answer the phone for number 425.231.5208.

The caller claims to be either from the King County Sheriff’s Office or the King County Courts system and explains that a warrant is out for your arrest after missing jury duty. In order to quash the warrant you are given the option to pay a fine, in some cases hundreds of dollars, so that you will not be arrested.

Those who unfortunately have agreed to pay are directed to another line where they are told to purchase a special cash card for payment. After taking a debit or credit card number the caller then assures the victims of this scam that if they report to one of the King County courts or the Sheriff’s Office they will be reimbursed a portion a portion of this money after signing up for jury duty.

For starters neither the King County Sheriff’s Office nor the King County Court system will ever alert you at any time that a warrant is out for your arrest or that they are coming to arrest you. Second, neither office will ever ask you for money to “settle out” a warrant using a cash card.

Victims of this scam have been reporting that on their caller ID the phone number is showing up as either the Sheriff’s Office or the Courts. The callers use high pressure tactics and professional sounding verbiage to pressure their victims into paying.