In a recent scam alert, the Burleson Police Department has warned the public of fraudulent "Jury Duty Warrant" phone calls targeting residents by posing as law enforcement officers from the Tarrant County or Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. According to a voicemail recording released by the Burleson Police Department, the scammers’ approach is deliberate and calculated to sound official, as a means to trick individuals into returning their calls.
The scam typically begins with a missed call followed by a voicemail urging the recipient to call back. Upon reconnecting, usually after reaching another voicemail, the individual is contacted by someone claiming to be "Sgt. Jason Alley" or using a different alias, who informs them they have missed jury duty and that a warrant for their arrest is pending. The caller then attempts to coerce the victim into "stopping" the warrant by making a payment using gift cards, a practice that the police have flagged as a significant red flag.
Elements of these scam calls, such as No Caller ID or spoofed numbers, immense pressure to act immediately, demands for gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency, and instructions to not hang up or to keep the call secret, are telltale indicators of a scam. In the video provided by the police department, it’s evident that these fraudsters are using sophisticated tactics to prey on unsuspecting victims.
