The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department says they fielded more than 100 calls in ninety minutes Friday morning from frantic residents who received messages saying they missed jury duty.
“An individual is calling from an unknown number and telling people that they have a warrant,” Houchin says. The voice sounds like artificial intelligence and claims to be a Lancaster County Sheriff’s lieutenant. “We here at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s don’t have lieutenants and we would not and never have called people about jury duty.”
Houchin is unsure how the scammer is getting the names and phone numbers of residents. Because the calls are coming from an unknown number, most people are letting the calls go to voice mail.
He is urging anyone who receives these voice messages to delete them. He also says there is no need to call the sheriff’s department.