The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents about jury duty scams in which callers tell victims they are from the sheriff’s department or court and they must pay to have arrest warrants cleared for missing jury duty.

The perpetrators routinely request immediate payment ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Victims are instructed to make a payment using pre-paid cards such as those sold by Green Dot. Perpetrators request the number on the back of the cards which they use to steal funds.

All jury summons in Los Angeles County are mailed using the U.S. Postal Service. No government office or representative will ever call residents advising them of a missed jury duty appearance.

The public is advised to not give any personal, credit card or banking information over the phone. People who believe they are victims are encouraged to call their local police stations or visit lasd.org, lapd.online and beverlyhills.org/citygovernment/departmentsanddivisions/policedepartment.