Woman Loses $5,000 in Jury Duty Scam, Warns Others of Convincing Phone Scheme

A North Carolina woman is warning others after she says she was scammed out of $5,000 by someone pretending to be with a sheriff’s office.

The victim, who asked not to be identified, says she received a phone call claiming she had missed jury duty and now had active warrants for her arrest. The caller told her she could avoid being taken into custody by paying a fee that would later be refunded once she appeared in court.

Fearing immediate arrest, she sent $5,000 through Apple Pay—only to later realize it was a scam.

“I feel really ashamed and embarrassed that this happened, but it was so convincing and so scary,” she said.

Authorities say she’s not alone. According to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, multiple people reported similar scams that same day, with criminals using fear and urgency to pressure victims into sending money.

Officials stress that legitimate law enforcement agencies will never call demanding payment to avoid arrest or resolve jury duty issues. Payments through apps like Apple Pay are especially risky because they function like cash and are often unrecoverable.

The victim says she’s sharing her story to help others avoid falling into the same trap.

Law enforcement is urging the public to hang up on suspicious calls and verify any claims directly with official agencies before taking action.

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