Tarrant County officials are warning that a stubborn phone scam is making the rounds in the Fort Worth area, with callers who sound like deputies or court staff threatening arrest over supposed missed jury duty or outstanding warrants and demanding quick payment to make the problem “go away.” The scammers pressure people into hard-to-trace payments, telling them to buy Green Dot or other prepaid cards, send money through apps like Zelle or Cash App, or head to cryptocurrency kiosks while the caller stays on the line.
How the scam plays out
According to Tarrant County Jury Services, scammers call or text claiming you missed jury duty, that a warrant has been issued, or that you owe a fine, then insist you pay immediately using gift cards, prepaid Green Dot cards, cryptocurrency or mobile payment apps. The county notes that courts do not call people to collect fines by phone, and that if you had actually failed to appear, you would normally get a written notice instead of a stranger demanding money in an urgent phone call.
Sheriff’s office doubles down on the warning
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office has repeated the alert in a Facebook post, saying, TCSO does not call and demand money over the phone to pay for warrants, fines or missed jury duty, and adding that it will never ask for payment through gift cards, Green Dot cards, Zelle or CashApp, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. The department is urging people to hang up on suspicious callers and to pass the warning along to neighbors and relatives who might not catch it on social media.
How to protect yourself
Experts say your best move is to cut contact fast. Hang up or delete suspicious texts, never share personal or financial details, and refuse any demand to pay over the phone, according to the FTC. If you think you were targeted, file a report with local law enforcement and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and contact your bank or card issuer right away to try to stop or reverse any payments.
Who scammers target and what to do next
Officials say scammers often home in on people who have loved ones in custody or who are on probation, leaning on fear and urgency to squeeze out payments, a pattern that local reporters have seen across North Texas, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. If you lost money, officials advise you to contact your bank and law enforcement immediately; residents in unincorporated parts of Tarrant County can call TCSO dispatch at 817-884-1213 for help, per Tarrant County…