Jury Scams
The Way it Works
The caller phones you, pretending to be a court officer. The script goes along the line that you missed Jury duty (an arrestable offense). They may go on tell you that an arrest warrant has been issued for you.
Needless to say you claim you've done nothing wrong, and never received any notices. You've just been shocked, and your head is swirling, panic is (if it hasn't ) about to set in.
At this point the caller claims they can correct it (sometimes with a fine), but need some information. Your birthday, and social security number for verification purposes. If the threat of a fine, your Credit Card number to pay the fine.
You have now had your identity stolen.
What to do
Firstly court officers as rule never request confidential information over the phone. Their methods are usually via mail. So hang up. Contact the court system yourself directly, and the local law agency.
By the threat of an arrest warrant or missing Jury duty, the caller tips you off balance with a scare tactic. With arrest imminent, and your life about to turned upside down, a little panic can go a long way to feed the information this crook needs.
So another step is to keep your cool, and be calm. Hanging up and reporting it, plus calling the courts yourself are your best defense and a good night's sleep.
The tactic is boldly simple and catches people off guard.
According to the recent news release several communities have been hit these thieves: Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Hampshire. Additional info can be had the following links.