Cedar Hill police are sounding the alarm after a brazen jury duty scam hit residents yesterday, with callers pretending to be law enforcement or court officials and demanding on-the-spot payments to avoid arrest.
According to police, the scammers insisted targets stay on the line, then pushed them to hand over money or payment information under threat of being taken into custody. Residents are being urged to treat any surprise call about jury duty with serious skepticism and to verify claims only through official city contacts.
In one reported incident detailed in a Facebook post from the Cedar Hill Police Department, a caller identifying himself as "Officer Smith" told a resident they owed exactly $1,012 for missing jury duty. The scammer gave the correct address for the municipal court, instructed the resident to drive there, and said payment would be handled by someone named "Rachel." To sweeten the pitch and lower suspicion, the caller even promised a $500 reimbursement after payment was made.
In that same post, police warned residents not to provide any personal or payment information to such callers. Instead, they advised hanging up, then contacting the municipal court directly to confirm whether there is any real issue.
The city’s Municipal Court contact page lists its phone number as 469-272-2930 and its office at 285 Uptown Boulevard in the Government Center. Those are the official points of contact residents should use if they receive a threatening call about jury duty or court fines. The Cedar Hill Municipal Court website also includes payment options and office hours. For non-emergency local help, the police department lists its main number as 972-291-5181 on the city’s site.
What The Scammers Told Residents
Police say the caller in the highlighted case claimed the resident was in contempt for failing to appear for jury duty. To sound official, the scammer used a badge-style name, dropped specific directions, and leaned hard on urgency.
The resident was allegedly ordered to stay on the phone throughout the ordeal while arranging payment, then was told that part of the money would be refunded later. That refund promise, according to police, is a classic move in impostor schemes that is meant to make the demand feel more legitimate.
Officers flagged several red flags in their write-up, including the insistence on remaining on the call, the immediate payment demand, and the threat of arrest. All of those, they noted in their Facebook post, are strong signals that the caller is not a real court or police representative.
How Authorities Say To Respond
The Cedar Hill incident lines up with a broader wave of jury duty and warrant impersonation scams that have been hitting North Texas, as reported by The Dallas Morning News. Across those cases, callers pretend to be from law enforcement or the courts and claim there is an unpaid fine, missed jury service, or active warrant that can be "fixed" with immediate payment.
Federal officials warn that legitimate courts and police departments do not call out of the blue to demand money or ask for payment over the phone. The FBI advises anyone who receives such a call to hang up, avoid using any callback numbers the scammer provides, then look up the agency’s real phone number and contact it directly. The bureau also recommends filing a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
If You Were Targeted
Residents who already sent money or shared personal or financial information are urged to act quickly. Officials say you should contact your bank or card issuer right away, then report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
For local assistance or to report a suspicious call, Cedar Hill residents can use the police non-emergency line at 972-291-5181, listed on the city’s Cedar Hill Police Department page, or call the municipal court directly at 469-272-2930 to verify any notices.
Police are asking residents to spread the word to family, neighbors, and especially older adults, who are often targeted by this kind of scam. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Cedar Hill Police Department.
