Sumter, S.C. police: jury duty scammers demand cryptocurrency and use AI-made fliers with a fake warrant and the department's real phone number
Checked
Police say no law enforcement agency works this way, and federal courts say most juror contact comes by mail. Hang up, call the court or police yourself and don't send crypto.
How to protect yourself
Who is affected
People in and around Sumter, South Carolina, where police report a recent increase in these scams. The same jury duty story is used nationwide, according to the FBI. Neither the police department nor the news reports give a count of victims or losses.
What happened
The Sumter Police Department warned residents of a scam that threatens people with arrest for failing to appear for federal jury duty and demands payment in cryptocurrency to avoid prosecution, according to The Sumter Item and WIS. The department said the scam has recently increased. To make the threat look real, the department said, scammers in some cases use an AI-generated flier with a replica of an actual warrant, the department's non-emergency phone number and an image of an officer, plus payment instructions. The department said no local, state or federal law enforcement agency operates this way.
- Red flag: a call, text or email says you missed jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay now.
- Red flag: you are told to pay in cryptocurrency, often at a crypto ATM.
- Red flag: a "warrant" or a flier made to look official is sent to you. A real phone number or badge on it proves nothing; scammers copy them.
- Red flag: you are told to keep it secret or to stay on the line.
What to do now
- Hang up. The department says to disconnect if a caller threatens arrest over missed jury duty or demands immediate payment.
- Don't send cryptocurrency. The department says crypto ATM transactions can be difficult or impossible to reverse.
- Verify on your own. Call the court or police using a number you find from an official source, not one the caller or the flier gives you. The federal courts say most contact with prospective jurors is by U.S. mail, and that federal courts don't require anyone to give sensitive information by phone or email.
- Don't share banking details, passwords, verification codes or personal information with a caller.
- Talk to someone you trust before you act. The department says scammers rely on fear, secrecy and pressure.
- If you were contacted or already paid, call your local police right away. In Sumter, the department lists (803) 436-2700. You can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you paid, contact your bank or the crypto ATM operator now.
Dates
- Event date: the department describes a recent increase and gives no start date.
- Reported: Oct 24, 2026 (The Sumter Item). WIS: Oct 25, 2026.
- Date checked: Oct 26, 2026.