Lawrence police warn of jury duty warrant phone scam

The department used its Facebook page Tuesday night to warn residents that the message was not from police. Officers do not ask for money over the phone, and a legitimate jury-duty or warrant issue will not be resolved by an urgent demand for payment, gift cards or similar forms of money. The fact that two people came to police headquarters after receiving the call showed the scam had already created real confusion in Lawrence, even though no loss of money was reported in the warning.

The script fits a familiar pattern that has been repeated in Douglas County and across Kansas. Douglas County District Court warned residents on June 7, 2024, about callers who claimed someone missed jury duty, owed a fine and would be arrested if payment was not made. The court said it will never seek payment or have someone arrested for missing jury duty. In March 2025, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued a similar warning after residents reported calls demanding an immediate $1,000 fine.

Kansas courts have also told the public that scammers may pose as court officials or law enforcement and may threaten people with fake arrest warrants, traffic tickets or jury notices by phone, text, email or mail. The Federal Trade Commission warned on June 11, 2026, that missed-jury-duty payment demands are scams, and said fraudsters exploit the real possibility of consequences for missing jury duty while making the payment demand itself a lie. The United States District Court for the District of Kansas has said jury scams have seen a resurgence in recent months and that the court will not ask for Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or bank account information.