Jury Duty Scams

Be wise, informed, and protected!

It’s ghastly that bad people seek to take advantage of the kind-hearted, but that is unfortunately a harsh reality. These evil-doers remain on the prowl in search of innocent victims. To avoid becoming a target of scammers, it’s essential to stay on top of their latest tricks. For this reason, we hope to enlighten you on a scam that is rocking the nation. Recently, jury duty scams have been on the rise. Let’s learn more about what you can do to stay safe!

What is a jury duty scam?

In this scam, innocent people are falsely informed that they missed jury duty. They are also dishonestly told that they now owe a penalty or fine that must be paid immediately. Victims may be threatened with a jail sentence if the fine is unpaid or be told that there is a warrant out for their arrest. It’s all a scam, likely an attempt to get potential victims to pay money. Or it may provide a way for scammers to gain access to their intended victim’s personal information.

How does this jury duty scam work?

Often, the scammers impersonate court officials, U.S. Marshals, or law enforcement officers. In some cases, they “steal” the name of a real law enforcement officer who is listed on a local agency’s website to gain legitimacy. Scammers may insist that their victims meet them or drop off payments at a specific location. They may ask for cash or untraceable forms of payment such as pre-paid debit cards, gift cards, and Bitcoins.  In one example, the scammers instructed their potential victims to drop payments into a box left in the parking lot outside the courthouse. Note that courts never use payment drop boxes.

How do these scammers reach victims?

Scams can come in the form of texts, phone calls, and emails. They are typically accompanied by threats of jail time, fines, or prosecution for failing to show up and serve on jury duty. Or they may request personal information from you, all signs of a scam!

How can I tell it’s a scam?

Should you receive a call or email from someone claiming to be working with the courts or law enforcement, and they tell you that you missed jury duty and need to pay a fine to avoid being arrested, rest assured it’s a scam. Or they may state that a member of your family failed to appear and there is a bench warrant out for their arrest. This is also a scam! Likewise, should you receive a call or email requiring you to divulge personal information for verification purposes, note that it is also a scam. In some cases, scammers may attempt to upset, scare, intimidate, or confuse their victims. Be wise and don’t fall prey. Hang up on these callers and do not engage. Additionally, do not respond to such emails.

Will jury duty call me to serve?

No. Authorities remind everyone that no government agencies will call or send emails out of the blue for jury duty. Nor will they call or send emails asking for personal information. Legitimate jury duty notices come in the mail. Additionally, if you missed jury duty accidentally, most people are given a second chance to appear. While fines can be imposed by courts, people are generally first given the opportunity to explain in court why they failed to appear. Physical threats or demands for payments are scams. Though there may be some legal consequences, you will never be physically threatened by the government for failing to appear for jury duty. Additionally, demands for payments such as prepaid cards, gift cards, cash, Bitcoins, and other hard to trace forms of payments are red flags of scams. And there is NO drop box for jury duty fines outside of courthouses. That is a scam.

What can I do to protect myself?

Jury duty is an important civic duty. However, it is a crime for anyone to falsely represent themselves as a federal court official, per United States Courts. Hang up on cold callers (scammers) who issue jury duty warnings. Additionally, do not respond to random emails about jury duty or click links of suspicious emails or phishing for information. Do your best to guard your personal data and NEVER give out private information like your Social Security number, date of birth, banking information and so forth over the phone. Also do NOT assume a call is legitimate based on caller ID because phone numbers can be spoofed. And, if you truly believe you might have missed jury duty, call the courts directly using an official phone number you looked up yourself, NEVER one that is given to you by a potential scammer.

Report Scams:

Scams are serious because they can potentially bankrupt people and wreak havoc in their lives. Understand that there are ways to protect yourself from jury duty scams and others out there. It is wise to stay educated on the latest schemes to avoid being a victim. It is also vital to continually safeguard sensitive information and finances. Avoid engaging with scammers. If you wish to report a jury duty scam phone call or email, notify the Clerk of Court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area. Click on the Federal Court Finder for a location near you.

Notify authorities & protect others:

Incidences of jury duty scams that put you at risk, or other crimes involving threats of harm, money loss, identity theft, impersonations, or serious unscrupulous behaviors should be promptly reported to the local authorities and to your state’s Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection. Be sure to share this timely information on jury scams with your friends and family, so that they too may be encouraged to be on guard.

This article is purely informational and is not intended as personal or legal advice.