FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 19, 2025

Midland Co. issues warning about jury duty scam

Phone scammers are impersonating county officials and demanding payment

MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas — Midland County is warning the community about an ongoing phone scam involving Jury Duty. Several residents have reported receiving calls from people claiming to be from the Office of the District Clerk, Sheriff, Police, Constable, or other local officials.

The scammers tell citizens they have missed their jury duty summons and must pay a fine, sometimes as much as $5,000. The callers escalate the pressure by warning that failure to pay the fine will result in an active arrest warrant. The scammers then instruct the would-be victims to purchase Green Dot, or other prepaid debit cards to pay these fraudulent fines.

Scammers often use disposable phones to appear legitimate and will even encourage citizens to call back or contact other “officials” to verify the claim. Once a victim provides the prepaid card information, the scammer disappears with the funds.

“This scam is aggressive, convincing, and unfortunately becoming more common,” said District Clerk Lex Archuleta. “Our office will never demand payment over the phone or direct you to purchase prepaid cards.”

What to Do if You Receive a Suspicious Call

• Document the number calling you.
• Do NOT provide any personal or financial information by phone or email.
• Hang up immediately.
• Contact the agency the caller claimed to be from.
• Report fraud attempts to the Federal Trade Commission at: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov

What You Should Know About Jury Notifications

• Midland County Jury Services never calls citizens to collect fines for failing to appear.
• If a citizen misses jury duty, they will typically receive a written notice signed by a judge, not a phone call.
• If a warrant is ever issued, there is no warning call and payment cannot be made in lieu of service.
• Fines, and in rare cases jail time, may be assessed, but jury service is still rescheduled, not canceled.

“We want people to feel confident in recognizing these scams and knowing how to respond,” Archuleta said. “Your safety, your privacy, and your trust in our judicial process are priorities for this office.”

For questions about jury service, residents may call the Midland District Clerk’s Jury Line at 432-688-4500, extension 1636.

Contact:

Samuel Eaton

Public Information Officer

publicinfo@mcounty.com

432-688-4314