Scammers identifying themselves as employees of the City of Falls Church Sheriff’s “Warrant Service” are calling residents claiming that the resident must make a payment to avoid being arrested, the City announced today.

Similar scams have affected Fairfax County and surrounding jurisdictions, in which the caller claims the resident has failed to appear for jury duty and must pay a court fee to avoid arrest. The City of Falls Church Sheriff’s Office is in no way associated with this scam; sheriff’s deputies do not call residents asking for money or threatening arrest.

The City cautions that those who receive a threatening phone call related to so-called “warrant service” or jury duty should hang up immediately. They should not give out personal information such as Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card numbers, passwords or any other identifying information, and are advised to regularly monitor monetary accounts and use strong passwords.