PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Hughes County Sheriff Patrick Callahan encourage the public to be careful about a Jury Duty telephone scam after a Hughes County resident was recently defrauded out of $22,000.
“These types of scams are designed to threaten and scare people into taking quick action without properly investigating,” said Attorney General Jackley. “If you get a telephone call or text message about a summons for jury duty, please check with the court of clerks.”
The resident received a call from someone supposedly representing the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office. The resident was told they had failed to appear for jury duty and would be subject to arrest if they did not pay a fine immediately via Bitcoin.
“The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office or any legitimate law enforcement agency or court will never demand payment via the telephone or by any form of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin,” said Sheriff Callahan. “If you receive a call like this, please hang up immediately and report it to law enforcement.”
Attorney General Jackley said another text scam being reported is a message supposedly from the South Dakota Department of Transportation threatening an immediate fine and other penalties for not paying traffic, toll, and parking tickets. The DOT does not send out such messages.
Hughes County residents who receive such calls can contact the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office directly at 605-773-7410 to verify the information.
You can also report the scam to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or at https://consumer.sd.gov/.