Con men are getting more aggressive in their attempts to part you with your money, or personal information. Reporter Rebecca Havely has this warning about the jury duty scam…
The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he’ll need some information for “verification purposes”-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.
This is when you should hang up. It’s a scam. Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen resurgence in recent months. Communities in more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about cold calls from people claiming to be court officials seeking personal information. As a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.
The scam’s bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. With enough information, scammers can assume your identity and empty your bank accounts. In recent months, communities California reported scams have and urged people to call their local district court office if they receive suspicious calls. Protecting yourself is the key; never give out personal information when you receive an unsolicited phone call.
BEWARE OF THE “JURY DUTY” SCAM
