I have yet to meet anyone over-thrilled when called for jury duty, and have you noticed that the summons always seems to come at the least desirable time (like when you have a vacation planned)? Fraudsters are reportedly using the name of jury duty to commit yet another fraud against U.S. seniors.
This scam is being committed over the phone. The caller reportedly claims that they are an officer of the court or a police officer, and there is a warrant out for the victim’s arrest for missing jury duty. In a recent case, the caller told the victim that there was a fine for missing jury duty, and it had to be paid immediately using Green Dot or Western Union. If the victim refused, supposedly an officer would be sent to arrest them.
In some of the reported cases, the caller also requires the victim to provide their full name, social security number and date of birth to “confirm” their identity to ensure the caller is “talking to the right person.” (Welcome to identity theft on top of losing money.)
I did some research and found an FBI alert about this very scam that dates back to 2006 stating, “Jury scams have been around for years…” In fact, I found blogs and State Attorney General Office articles dating back to 2003.
A few tips to pass along:
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Court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail. (FBI, 2006) A real official or court representative will not call to request your personal information or demand money over the phone.
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If in doubt, get the caller’s information, including their name, court they are from, phone number and extension, and their manager’s contact information. Legit callers won’t have a problem with this; criminals will.
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An official government representative will never be rude, bully people or make threats. If there really is a warrant out for your arrest, they’re not going to call and warn you – they just show up unannounced. Consumers who are being harassed over the phone should contact local law enforcement to report the issue.
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Visit
USCourts.gov to learn about legitimate juror protocol or recent jury summons.
Thanks for spreading the word!