Houston woman loses thousands in new jury duty scam using crypto payments

A Houston woman lost thousands of dollars to scammers who used a sophisticated new variation of the classic jury duty scam, complete with falsified federal documents and a cryptocurrency payment scheme.

The victim, who requested anonymity, received what appeared to be a legitimate call from someone claiming to be a deputy, warning of arrest warrants for missing federal jury duty.

“They started with my full name,” the victim recalled. “They said, ‘I’m a deputy, I’m calling regarding some warrants out for your arrest.’”

What made this scam particularly convincing was the level of personal information the scammers possessed.

They sent official-looking arrest warrants via email containing the victim’s full name and even her parents’ address.

“I saw the documents and I looked them over and it looked legit,” she said. “They had like a postal service document that had a signature.”

Sophisticated tactics

Unlike traditional scams that request gift cards or bank information, these fraudsters directed the victim to make cryptocurrency payments at a specific location downtown.

The location, advertised as a “federal bonds location,” was actually a storefront with cryptocurrency ATMs.

“I feel so silly now, but it seemed so legit then,” the victim said, noting she didn’t notice red flags like CBD advertisements in the window until later.

Warning signs

The Harris County District Clerk emphasizes that legitimate court officials never call citizens to impose penalties. They advise anyone receiving such calls to report them immediately to law enforcement.

While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) typically handles such scam reports, their reporting system is currently unavailable due to the government shutdown.

How to protect yourself

The victim’s advice to others is emphatic: “180 out of the building. 180. End the call, don’t do anything with it.”

Law enforcement officials recommend:

• Never respond to phone calls about jury duty penalties
• Don’t trust callers requesting cryptocurrency payments
• Report suspicious calls to local law enforcement
• Verify court communications through official channels

Growing threat

This sophisticated version of the jury duty scam comes as Americans faced more than six billion scam calls last year alone, highlighting the evolving tactics of fraudsters who combine traditional phone scams with cryptocurrency technology.