Residents of Pinal County, heed this warning: a scam artist could be on the other end of the phone claiming you're in trouble for skipping jury duty. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is sounding the alarm on an old jury scam that's making the rounds once more. According to officials, the fraudsters are posing as PCSO employees and are falsely telling locals they've got an outstanding warrant for ducking jury service, then demanding payment to clear the bogus charges.

Don't be fooled, the Sheriff's Office would never hit you up for fees over the phone or tell you to buy gift cards to settle fines. When the caller insists on purchasing gift cards, they are pretending to be a PCSO employee. "Please be aware of an ongoing scam," a recent public advisory states, alerting citizens to the fraudulent activities underway.

If you're on the receiving end of one of these calls, keep your info to yourself. The Sheriff's Office cautions against giving out any personal information and advises against meeting any of these callers in person. Trust is a currency not to be squandered, especially with scammers trying to cash in on fear and confusion.

For those unsure about the veracity of the caller's claims, there's a safe way to clarify. Residents can call 520-866-5111 to verify if the person on the line is in fact a PCSO employee. The PCSO, when contacted, will be more than willing to help residents discern truth from deception, ensuring that citizens can protect themselves and their hard-earned money from the greedy hands of impostors.