As part of our civic duty, we’ll all be called for jury duty a time or two… or maybe even three! Attending court is important and there are consequences if a jury duty appointment is missed. Scammers know this information, and are currently posing as a U.S. Marshal or police officer. The scammers apply pressure, saying there’s a warrant for your arrest for missing your jury date.
If this happens to you, know it’s likely a jury duty scam. It’s important to be aware that courts and government agencies will never ask you to pay over the phone or request sensitive information in this way. Additionally, according to the CT Department of Consumer Protection, courts will not communicate with jurors by phone, text, or email. All jury summons and information are communicated by mail. Scammers, however, often insist on payments through gift cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
If you receive such a call:
- Do not pay or give any personal information out.
- Instead, hang up immediately.
- Independently check the court’s website for jury duty information or call the court directly at a known and verified number.
- Lastly, be sure to report the jury duty scam to ReportFraud.ftc.gov to help prevent others from falling victim.
