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Nicholas Powell
Scam library

Is the "you missed jury duty" call a scam?

Yes. Deputies and courts don't call to collect money.

Hang up. Then call the sheriff's office yourself: (419) 422-2424.

Seen in FindlayLast checked November 2026

Watch it happen

1 of 5

Tap through it. Each trick gets named as it happens.

Hancock County SheriffPhone call, a made-up example

  1. "This is Sergeant Miller, Hancock County Sheriff's Office. Badge 4471."

    The caller ID really says Sheriff. That can be faked.

    Tap next to keep going.

What to do

  1. 1Hang up. You won't get in trouble for hanging up.
  2. 2Call the Hancock County Sheriff's Office yourself at (419) 422-2424 and ask. That's their non-emergency line for crimes and scams.
  3. 3If you already paid, call your bank right away, then see "I already paid" below.

What to say: "I'll call the sheriff's office myself." Then hang up.

The real place to check: The Hancock County Sheriff's Office, (419) 422-2424, dialed yourself.

Practice

Scam or real?

Practice is what helps most. Take a look and pick one.

Findlay Municipal CourtPhone call, a made-up example

"This is the clerk's office. You have an unpaid fine and a warrant. To avoid arrest, pay $480 today with a Bitcoin machine. Do not hang up."

Already tapped, paid or told them something? It happens to careful people. Here's what to do now.

Want to know more?

How it works, start to finish

The phone rings and the caller ID says Hancock County Sheriff. A calm, official voice gives a name and a badge number. He says you missed jury duty or a court date, and there's a warrant.

Then the good news: you can clear it today. You just have to pay a bond, and stay on the phone while you do. He tells you to buy gift cards, put cash in a Bitcoin machine, or hand money to someone who will come by.

Caller ID can be faked to show the sheriff's real number. That's why careful people believe it.

All the signs
  • A threat of arrest, unless you pay right now.
  • They want you to stay on the line, and not hang up or tell anyone.
  • Payment by gift card, Bitcoin machine, or cash pickup.
  • Caller ID that looks official. It can be faked.
The four steps almost every scam follows

  1. Step 1

    A scary alarm

    Your account, your benefits, your record or your computer is in trouble.

  2. Step 2

    Hurry

    Act now, stay on the line, don't tell anyone.

  3. Step 3

    Only one fix

    Theirs. Do exactly what they say.

  4. Step 4

    Money that can't come back

    Gift cards, a Bitcoin machine, a wire, or cash handed to a courier.

By the numbers
  • Government impostor scams nearly doubled in a year: about 32,400 reports and $798 million lost in 2025.
  • People 60 and older lost $413 million of that.
  • The Hancock County Sheriff's Office has warned about this call again and again.
Where to report it
  • Hancock County Sheriff, non-emergency(419) 422-2424
  • Ohio Attorney General800-282-0515 or OhioProtects.org
  • The FBIic3.gov
  • The FTCReportFraud.ftc.gov
Where this comes from

Pass it on

Think of someone who'd get this. A parent, a grandparent, a neighbor who lives alone. Sending it is a way of saying you care.

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Check with the Hancock County Sheriff's Office. Got a call like this? Hang up, then call the sheriff's office yourself and ask if it was them. They'll tell you, and they'd rather you check.

(419) 422-2424

First posted November 11, 2026. Last checked November 2026.

General help from a neighbor, not legal, financial or police advice. I can't get money back, and anyone who offers to for a fee is running a second scam. In an emergency, call 911.