Identity Theft from Fake Jury Service Call

You receive a telephone call from someone who says they are an officer of the court.  They say that you have failed to report for jury duty – this is a serious offence and a warrant is out for your arrest.  Even though you tell them you never received a notification, they advise that one was sent and frighten you with the seriousness of the offence.

To try and clear it up, the caller will ask for some information for verification purposes that will include your full name, date of birth etc.  They now have all the information they need for identity theft.
The final scam is the statement that you can avoid being arrested if you pay an instant fine.  To do that you will need to provide them with your credit card details.  They’ve got you again!

The jury duty scam is a simple one - scare you first then give you a way out.

Advice

• Remember that court officers never ask for personal or confidential information over the phone.  Courts normally follow up with potential jurors and no-show jurors by mail
• Never give out personal information including credit card details to anyone on the phone when you haven’t initiated the call
• If you are unsure about a telephone call, ask for the caller's name and organization's or department's details and then hang up.  Find a legitimate contact number for the organization using a telephone directory or other means [Don't use a contact number provided by the caller] and then call the organization and ask to speak to the original caller by name