THE CLASSIC JURY DUTY SCAM
A recent revival of the classic jury duty scam has painted the entire jury duty experience in a more sinister hue.
Here’s how the scam works:
The scammer calls, claiming to work for the local court and telling the victim they’ve missed their call to jury duty and that there is a warrant out for their arrest.
The victim denies having received the summons, so the scammer asks the victim for identifying information to verify that the notification was sent out. The victim willingly shares their Social Security number, date of birth, or more.
Once the caller has “verified” the notification was sent, the scammer demands a payment of $1,000 or more. The scammer stresses that you must pay the fine immediately to help the victim avoid an arrest.
Once they’ve agreed to pay the fine, the victim will be sent around town to purchase reloadable money cards in various stores. After purchasing the cards, the victim is to send their money to the “courthouse” to be free from the threat of arrest.
The victim may now be feeling relieved, but it’s the scammer who has the last laugh. Not only did they milk this victim for $1,000, but they also had the victim’s details, making identity theft the next scandalous step.
How to spot these scams
Red Flags
The major flaw in this scam is that it is over the phone; government workers prefer snail mail. On the rare occasion that a courthouse worker does call a private juror, they won’t ask for private information. There’s also no reason for a federal court to request your Social Security number. And finally, missing jury duty never leads to an arrest.
There have been instances of jury duty scams coming via email. In that case, the same red flags apply as above.
Protect Yourself
If this scam targets you, don’t engage with the scammer. The scammers often use a fake Caller ID; if it looks like the local courthouse is calling, don’t pick up the phone. It’s unlikely that a courthouse worker is on the other end of the line.
If you have already picked up and the caller starts reading you the riot act about missed jury duty and your pending arrest, hang up as quickly as you can.
Finally, if you’ve gotten hooked and find yourself prompted to share sensitive information, remember the golden rule: NEVER share your identifying details over an unsafe medium.
Stop the Scam
If a jury duty scam targets you, notify the Clerk of Court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and alert the FTC at the ftc.gov.
Don’t let these crooks get away with their crime!
