The county’s Clerk of Courts said one scammer requested $9,000 for missed jury duty.
LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Lucas County is warning the public about a phone call and text message scam pertaining to jury duty service that demands payment.
According to a press release from the Lucas County Clerk of Courts, some have received texts and phone calls in which the scammer claims to be from the clerk’s office, and insists that the recipient has missed their jury duty.
The scammer claims the person must make a payment in order to avoid further financial sanctions and jail time, the clerk’s office said. The office added that one of these scams in particular requested $9,000 from the recipient.
The county clerk said it will never contact citizens regarding missed jury duty, nor will it ever threaten jail time or request a payment for missing jury summons.
If you receive a text or call like this, you should report them to the Clerk of Court’s office at 419-213-4484.
Lucas County Clerk of Courts J. Bernie Quilter said in the press release that the scam preys on the public’s fear of government sanction, and weaponizes the judicial process – something he said is both “illegal and disgraceful.”
If you are unable to make a jury summons, Quilter said the process to notify the county is simple:
“Should a citizen receive a Jury Duty Summons and cannot appear, simply call the number on the card and inform the Court’s Jury Manager representative of the conflict; under most circumstances you will be relieved of the appointment and entered into the lottery for the next jury pool,” he said.
This article was published by Karmann Ludwig on 2025-08-22 11:55:00
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