Crime & Safety

Jury Duty Scam Surfaces in Barrington

It is believed that at least one Barrington woman was bilked out of $1,000.

At least four Barrington residents have been the targets of what RI Attorney General Peter Kilmartin is describing as “an aggressive new scam hitting the area, where people are being threatened with imminent arrest for failure to appear for jury duty.”

To avoid arrest, however, they are offered the opportunity to “post bail” by paying a certain amount with a credit or debit card. 

One of the Barrington women did pay a $1,000 “fine” with a debit card purchased at a WalMart, said Barrington Police Chief John LaCross. She apparently gave the scam artist the card number; it is not known if a call by her husband to stop the transfer of money was successful.

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All of the Barrington residents were women ranging in age from 56 to 77, said LaCross. The scam artist claimed to be from either the Bristol County police or sheriff’s office or the Bristol County courthouse.

A phone number used to reach at least one of the Barrington women is 401-302-2852, the police chief said. Be aware of that number if it pops up on your caller ID, he said.  

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The Attorney General’s office also said that the caller gets aggressive and threatening when questioned about the claims, often indicating they will be arriving at the home shortly to make the arrest. 

Residents should be aware of several red flags associated with this scam, according to the Attorney General:

  • The Jury Commissioner’s Office for the Rhode Island Superior Court does not issue arrest warrants for individuals who fail to appear for jury duty.  If someone fails to appear for jury duty, the Courts will contact the individual to inquire why they failed to appear and will reschedule or excuse the individual based on the circumstances. 
  • If an arrest warrant is issued for an individual, law enforcement will not contact the person to let them know it exists.  No law enforcement agency in Rhode Island will allow an individual to post bail by credit card over the telephone to avoid being arrested.
  • Sheriffs in Rhode Island are a division of the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety and primarily work with the Courts.  Unlike most other states, Rhode Island does not have sheriff departments based in counties.  Each city and town has its own local police department.

Anyone who receives a similar phone call or threat should report it to the Barrington police.

“While it is more likely than not this scam is being operated outside Rhode Island,” said Kilmartin, “the quickest way to stop it from spreading is to be aware of their tactics and inform law enforcement.  If you are contacted by this outfit, get the name and the phone number of the person calling, make note of who they allegedly work for, and then hang up and contact your local police. Scam artists often use information that is readily available on the Internet, like your name, address and phone number, to give the perception they are legitimate and to heighten the fear of their victims that an arrest is imminent. It is despicable and it is illegal.” 

Attorney General Kilmartin has notified the Rhode Island Judiciary and the Rhode Island Sheriffs, a division of the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety of the scam.  There is a “Bristol County Sheriff’s Office” in Massachusetts, however, that office has been contacted and calls of this nature do not come from that office.


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