Lincoln County officials are warning residents about an ongoing phone scam after a local resident was defrauded out of $1,500 by someone posing as a court official, according to Lincoln County District Judge Phillip Green.
Judge Green said the incident occurred Tuesday morning when a resident was contacted by a scammer who falsely claimed she had missed jury duty and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest. The caller allegedly told the victim the warrant had been signed by District Judge Phillip Green and warned that she would be arrested if she went to work or attempted to visit the courthouse to resolve the matter.
Officials say the scammer’s intent was to isolate the victim and prevent her from contacting anyone who could have identified the call as fraudulent. The victim was ultimately convinced to send $1,500 to the scammer using Apple Pay.
Judge Green emphasized that warrants are never issued for missed jury duty. He noted that individuals who fail to appear for jury duty would instead receive a notice to appear before a circuit judge, not a district judge, and would never be asked to make a payment over the phone.
“Neither Circuit Court nor District Court collects money by phone, and we do not accept payments through Apple Pay or any similar payment method,” Green said.
He added that scammers often claim to be sheriff’s deputies or other officials and use threats of immediate arrest to pressure victims into sending money. Similar scams may also involve alleged unpaid traffic tickets or other violations.
Residents who receive such calls are urged to hang up immediately and verify the information by contacting local authorities directly. Anyone who believes they are being targeted by a scam can contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at (870) 628-4271, the Lincoln County Circuit Clerk’s Office at (870) 628-3154, or the Lincoln County District Court at (870) 628-4904.
