Clark County warns residents about rising jury duty scams

Joe Johnson, program manager for Clark County Superior Court’s jury administration office, warned residents that jury duty scams are increasing and urged people not to provide money or personal information to callers who claim they missed jury service. "The court nor law enforcement will ever ask jurors for monetary compensation for missing jury duty," Johnson said, and officials urged verification before acting on any demand.

The warning followed a public-service opening that emphasized basic precautions: "Don't panic. Don't pay," the presenter said, and pointed listeners to the court’s online guidance. Johnson told listeners the scams often begin with a phone call in which the caller claims to be law enforcement, sometimes providing a real officer’s name and badge number to appear legitimate.

Johnson described the payment methods scammers frequently request: Bitcoin, gift cards or money transfers arranged through retail stores such as Walmart or Fred Meyer. He said the callers can be forceful and that the scams target people across age groups but are frequently more aggressive toward younger and older residents.

To verify whether a contact is legitimate, Johnson advised collecting as much information as possible from the caller without sharing personal details, then hanging up and calling local law enforcement or the jury administration office directly. He described how the jury office communicates legitimately: jurors are summoned via a mailed postcard that includes instructions and a link to an online portal; the office sends email only after a juror has submitted the online questionnaire and sends text messages only after a juror has opted in.

Johnson said unsolicited emails or texts that arrive before a juror has used the portal or opted in should be treated as suspect. For more information and official guidance, the court directed people to clark.wa.gov/superior-court/jury-service-scam.