Bexar County Constable Precinct 3 is issuing a renewed warning to the public about a sophisticated and ongoing scam where impersonators, posing as local police officers, attempt to defraud residents by falsely claiming they missed jury duty and owe a fine.

According to authorities, the scammers exhibit a "polished demeanor" and often possess personal information and phone numbers of potential victims, which they obtain from publicly available sources. They use this information to make a convincing case that the victim failed to report for local or federal jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid arrest.

The fraudsters employ various tactics to obtain payment, including requesting funds via mail, meeting victims in person, escorting them to ATMs, or instructing them to purchase gift cards. They frequently spoof phone numbers to appear as if they are calling from a legitimate local law enforcement agency. When victims attempt to call back for "verification," they are met with a recorded message, further lending credibility to the ruse.

Bexar County Constable Precinct 3 highlights common elements of the scammer's script:

• Callers identify themselves as law enforcement officers, providing a name and badge number.
• They use official-sounding legal terminology, such as "summon for jury duty," "arrest," "gag order," or "arrest warrant," and may even cite a real judge's name.
• Victims are often kept on the phone for extended periods, sometimes up to 30 minutes, being instructed to write down information and repeat it back before money is requested.
• Victims are often pressured not to speak with anyone else or an attorney, and sometimes a second person will join the call to escalate threats and scare the victim into paying thousands of dollars.

Authorities emphasize that legitimate law enforcement officials will always carry full identification, will never ask for cash or gift card payments, and court financial transactions are handled through easily verifiable official channels.

The Constable's Office urges anyone contacted in this manner to immediately report the information or any recorded conversations to the agency being impersonated. Crucially, do not give out financial information or agree to meet with these individuals in person. This scam has been ongoing for many months and continues to find new victims.