The other day, I read about Jury Duty Scams, a form of identity theft that has been known for a while, but seems to resurface and peak every few years. So I wanted to share this information with you.
The concept is simple: You receive a phone call from a “court officer” who advises that you failed to report for jury duty, which is a crime. Supposedly, a warrant for your arrest is out.
If you were to receive such a phone call, your first reaction would probably be similar to mine: You get nervous, defensive, and protest that you never even received a letter. To clarify the situation, the caller asks for your name, date of birth, and social security number… and you, caught off guard, may be more than willing to give him the information in order to get the problem solved.
And that’s when he gets you.
The caller may even be bold enough to “offer” you to pay a fine – payable by credit card right over the phone.
The FBI advises: As a rule, court officials don’t ask for personal information over the phone; they usually communicate with prospective jurors by mail. So please be vigilant and never ever give out personal information when you receive an unsolicited phone call.