Ali Adams said a caller tried to convince her she could be arrested after claiming she had missed jury duty in Oregon. Adams, who posts on TikTok as @mrsaliadams, shared the experience in a video covered by The Big Lead.
The call began after an unknown Oregon number left a professional-sounding voicemail. The person identified himself as a sergeant with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department and said he was calling about a legal matter.
Adams looked up the name before calling back and found a LinkedIn profile that appeared to match the identity used in the voicemail. After she returned the call, the person on the line confirmed her name and address, then said she had missed jury duty on May 26.
The caller claimed there was a form with her signature showing she had received the summons. From there, the conversation moved into signature analysis, arrest threats, cash bond demands, and instructions not to contact anyone else.
The Caller Claimed Her Signature Was On A Jury Summons
@mrsaliadams This is a LONG listen but this happened to me yesterday and it was so scary and well done. Now looking back I can see the areas where I should’ve picked up on something not being right, but at the time I was in panic, crisis, emotional, and not thinking rationally. Also a good reminder for me to actually look up what the process would be if a police officer DID call me and what my rights are! #jurydutyscam #phonescam #scam #scamstory #juryduty ♬ original sound – Ali Adams
Adams said she told the caller she had no idea she was supposed to appear for jury duty. The caller responded that a document on file showed her signature, then asked whether her neighbors ever received her mail by mistake.
Adams said she began doubting her own memory and wondered whether she had received something and forgotten it during a busy period.
The caller told her she needed to come to the station for a signature analysis. If the signatures did not match, he said, she could leave without a problem.
The Call Moved Into Arrest And Bond Threats
When Adams asked what would happen if the signatures did match, the caller described two options. The criminal option, according to her account, involved self-surrendering at the station, being handcuffed, fingerprinted, and held for up to 72 hours until a judge could review the case.
The civil option involved paying bonds to freeze the charges until a later court date. Adams said she began crying because she is a mother and had never dealt with anything like that involving law enforcement.
The caller then told her she had to stay on the line. He said she could not make outgoing calls, involve a third party, or send text messages because doing so would flag the system and hurt her case. He also claimed she was under a suppression gag order.
A Second Caller Sent A Fake Warrant By Text
The first caller transferred Adams to someone described as a deputy. That person told her to get into her vehicle, remain stationary, and write down citation information. He then made her read the information back.
Adams said the second caller told her a text message containing her arrest warrant would arrive. After she received it, he asked her to read the warrant aloud and confirm that she understood it.
The payment demand then became clearer. Adams said she was told she had to pay 10% of the bond. At one point, the amount was discussed as $30,000 before being corrected to $15,000. She told the caller she could not access that kind of money without her husband knowing.
The Cash Demand Finally Broke The Script
The caller said the courts would not accept debit or credit card information by phone or in person and would accept only cash, according to Adams’ account. He also said any bond reduction would require bank statements and that she would have to pay whatever balance those statements showed.
Adams said the caller assured her the money would be reimbursed if the signatures did not match. But when she said she could not withdraw all the money in the account because it would leave her family with nothing, the situation started to feel wrong.
She put the call on speaker and searched for jury duty scams. After seeing advice to contact the real courthouse, she disconnected despite her fear and called the Multnomah County courthouse directly.
The Real Courthouse Call Confirmed Her Suspicions
Adams said the person who answered at the courthouse told her the situation sounded suspicious. Because the callers had invoked federal claims, the courthouse employee suggested she contact the federal courthouse as well and helped look up information.
While Adams was on the phone with the courthouse, the same number kept calling her repeatedly. Then another text message arrived, and Adams said that message confirmed the call was a scam because a real officer would not have sent it.
The scam had already used several pressure points: a professional voicemail, a real-sounding law enforcement identity, a signature claim, a fake warrant, a ban on outside calls, and a cash-only bond demand.
Oregon Courts Warn About Jury Duty Impersonators
The Oregon Judicial Department warns that scammers may pretend to be court officials or police officers and tell people they owe money or face arrest because of jury service or a missed court appearance.
Oregon state courts say they will not threaten people, demand money, or require sensitive personal information by phone, email, or text because of jury service. The courts may send jury notices or reminders by text, but those messages will not demand payment, personal information, or immediate action under threat.
Federal Courts Say Warrants Are Not Served By Phone
The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon warns that jury scam calls may threaten prosecution, fines, or jail time for failing to comply with jury service in federal or state courts.
The court says real contact with prospective jurors is usually handled through mail or email. If court staff do make phone contact, the call will not include a demand for payment, a fine, a credit card number, or sensitive personal information.
Federal courts also will not serve a warrant or notify someone of a warrant by email, phone, or fax. Federal officials do not demand money instead of arrest.
How To Check A Jury Duty Call
The Federal Trade Commission says jury duty scams often begin with an urgent call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal or local police officer. The caller may already know the target’s name or address, then claim the person missed jury duty and must pay to avoid arrest.
Anyone who receives this kind of call should hang up and contact the court or law enforcement agency directly using a verified number from an official website. The callback number, payment instructions, links, badge numbers, documents, or text messages supplied by the caller should not be treated as proof.
Anyone who already sent money or personal information should save call logs, voicemails, texts, emails, payment receipts, cryptocurrency addresses, gift card numbers, and screenshots, then report the scam to local police and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
