Over the past few days, we have received several calls from citizens reporting a jury duty scam. Callers are claiming that the person on the line has missed federal jury duty and must either pay thousands of dollars or turn themselves in to the jail. In a few of these incidents, the scammer used the name “Jim Price.”

These individuals often know your address, which is unfortunately easy to find online. Because this scam has been reported several times, we want to make our citizens aware:

! Absolutely NO law enforcement officer will ever call you and demand money, gift cards , or any monetary item to avoid arrest, avoid jail, or resolve a warrant.

! No law enforcement officer anywhere is allowed to accept cash payment for any reason related to an arrest.

If you receive one of these calls, HANG UP immediately and report the call to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office by calling (423) 442-3911 during normal business or, call Monroe County Dispatch after hours at (423) 442-4357.

These scammers often use blocked numbers or phone numbers that have been cloned to look legitimate. Please stay cautious-especially during the holiday season when scam activity increases.

Protect yourself. Never give money to anyone claiming to be a law enforcement officer over the phone-and never agree to meet up with someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer to hand them over your money.