Sheriff Koutoujian

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to be alert for a new round of jury-duty scam calls.

As part of the scam, callers pose as members of the sheriff's office and tell residents they need to resolve issues related to missed court matters and jury duty. In multiple instances this month – including two this past weekend – scammers identified themselves as a Sgt. Cooper and provided 781-819-5610 as a callback number. 

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On Friday, a local resident was allegedly told he needed to pay $900 or would be arrested, while on Saturday, a woman was told she needed to respond to a specific location to clear up three warrants. The location to which the woman was told to respond housed actual MSO offices but was closed at the time.

In all three cases, those who were contacted called the MSO before paying any money or traveling to a location.

“Nationwide, these scammers are attempting to use the criminal justice system and the threat of arrest as a tool to frighten people into paying large sums of money,” Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian said in a March 25 news release. “We want residents to be aware of these scams and these tactics in order to better protect themselves.”

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a jury-duty scam, you are encouraged to immediately notify your local police department. If the scammer claims to be a member of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, we also ask you to contact our office at 978-667-1711.

To learn more about the jury duty process in Massachusetts, including jury duty delinquency, visit the Office of Jury Commissione website at www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-jury-commissioner. 

This news announcement was published Monday, March 25, 2019.