SALT LAKE CITY — A Colorado woman has been charged in Utah with stealing money using a jury scam.
Lexi Navarrette Johnson, 20, of Greeley, Colorado, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with communications fraud and theft by deception, third-degree felonies, and impersonating a police officer, a class B misdemeanor.
A jury scam is when a victim gets a call from someone impersonating a law enforcement officer and claiming that the victim recently missed jury duty. The scammer then tells the victim that a fine needs to be paid or a warrant will be issued for the victim's arrest.
In June, a woman in Salt Lake County says she "received a call from a blocked phone number, where the caller stated they were a Salt Lake County sheriff's deputy. The caller told (her) she had missed jury duty and owed a fine of $2,200," according to charging documents.
The woman was threatened "with arrest and incarceration if the fine was not paid," the charges state.
The victim transferred nearly $1,200 to a phone number and associated Apple Pay account provided by the caller, followed by an additional $600, according to police.
Deputies served a search warrant on the phone number the victim used and traced it back to Johnson. Investigators also discovered "the financial accounts involved list Johnson as the only account holder," the charges state.
Jury scams and similar arrest warrant scams have been plaguing Utah residents for several years. Police say no law enforcement agency or court in Utah will call and request you send money over the phone. Nor will they ever ask that a person pay using a prepaid gift card.
