Report a Jury Duty Phone Scam in Berks County

In the scam, the caller falsely claims that you failed to appear for jury duty and that an active arrest warrant has been issued, then demands immediate payment to resolve the supposed warrant and keep you out of custody. There is no legitimate warrant or payment requirement. Do not make any payments.

If you get a call like this, do not give the caller personal information, financial information or payment. Hang up immediately, then report it to your local police department, the Berks County District Attorney's Detective Unit, or the Berks County Sheriff's Office. The warning gives two numbers to call: the Berks County Detectives at (610) 478-7171 and the Berks County Sheriff's Office at (610) 478-6240. It does not say what hours those numbers are answered.

Warning signs the office points out: notices about jury duty and other court matters are generally sent through official correspondence, and courts and law enforcement agencies will not demand immediate payment over the phone to avoid arrest. Scammers may ask for cryptocurrency or other electronic payment methods, which government agencies do not use. They often use caller-ID spoofing so the call looks like it comes from a real government agency, and they may send convincing looking documents by email or text; official seals, letterhead and legal terminology do not prove a document is genuine. They also use high-pressure tactics and may insist you stay on the phone until the matter is "resolved" so you cannot check their claims. If you are unsure whether a call is legitimate, hang up and contact the agency directly using a telephone number you have independently verified. If you think you received real court or jury duty correspondence, contact the appropriate court directly using a verified telephone number.

For general questions, the District Attorney's Office is at the Berks County Services Center, 5th Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601, with a general-questions number of 610-478-6000 and an email address of da@berkspa.gov. The warning does not describe a walk-in reporting process or mention any cost.

Source: berkspa.gov/departments/da/da-news/news/2026-press-releas…, read September 20, 2026.

The details

In Berks County District Attorney's Office’s words

The Berks County District Attorney’s Office is once again warning residents about a phone scam in which individuals pose as Berks County Sheriff’s deputies or other court officials and falsely claim that the recipient failed to appear for jury duty and that an active arrest warrant has been issued. The caller then demands immediate payment to resolve the alleged warrant and prevent the resident from being taken into custody. THIS IS A SCAM.

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