08/19/2026
🚨SCAM AWARENESS: JURY DUTY & ARREST WARRANT SCAM🚨
The Centre County Sheriff’s Office was recently made aware of a scam involving someone impersonating a law enforcement officer.
In this incident, the caller claimed to be a “Lieutenant Smith” and told the individual they had two citations for missing jury duty. The caller demanded $10,000 ($5,000 per citation) and threatened that a warrant would be issued if the money was not paid. The caller also claimed that disconnecting the call would immediately result in an arrest warrant.
🚩 These are major red flags!
Please remember:
• Law enforcement will not demand thousands of dollars over the phone to prevent your arrest.
• Scammers may impersonate law enforcement officers and use official-sounding titles, names, and threats to make their calls seem legitimate.
• Scammers often create a sense of urgency and fear so you don't have time to verify their claims.
• Do not provide your Social Security number, date of birth, banking information, credit/debit card information, or other personal information to an unsolicited caller.
• Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or make payments through unusual methods because someone is threatening you with arrest.
• If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and independently contact the agency using a phone number you know to be legitimate. Do not call a number provided by the caller.
If you receive a call claiming to be from the Centre County Sheriff’s Office and you are unsure whether it is legitimate, please take a moment to verify it before taking any action.
When in doubt, hang up and verify. Don't let a scammer use fear to make you act quickly.
Please share this post with family and friends, especially those who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.
