Harris County couple warns of fake deputy jury summons arrest scam

Carolyn Weber got a call around 9 a.m. Friday from someone claiming to be Deputy Miller with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables’ Office, and the caller said she had missed a grand jury appearance on April 1 and now had a warrant.

Robert Weber said the impostor used a real deputy’s name but a fake badge number, then pushed Carolyn Weber to go at once to a Precinct 4 substation on Holzwarth Road. The caller also said a summons had been delivered and signed for in November 2025, a detail designed to make the threat sound official and immediate. Robert Weber said the scammer tried to cut him out of the conversation, another warning sign that the call was meant to isolate the target and force a fast decision.

The Webers’ case fits a pattern that has repeatedly surfaced across Harris County. In May 2024, a Houston woman was told to bring $6,000 in cash to a kiosk near the Galleria area because she supposedly missed jury service. In November 2025, a retired teacher said a caller demanded $525 to clear up a missed jury duty claim. In May 2025, a Houston man said he lost $8,000 after scammers said he had missed federal jury duty and could avoid arrest by paying. Other versions have included texted photos of a supposed summons, demands for a cash surety bond, fake federal documents and even cryptocurrency payment instructions.

County officials have been blunt about the warning signs. Precinct 4 officials said deputies do not call people to say they have a warrant or to demand payment over the phone. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has said the sheriff’s office will never contact people by phone about missing jury service, and District Clerk Marilyn Burgess has said the county does not fine people for missing jury service and sends any Failure to Appear notice by mail, not by phone.

The safest response is simple: hang up, do not send money, do not go to a kiosk, substation or parking lot, and do not give out personal information to a caller who demands urgency and secrecy. If a call sounds real, verify it directly through the Harris County District Clerk’s Office at 713-755-6392 or the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-221-6000. That is the difference between a real county notice and a fast-moving arrest scam built on fear.