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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 has been issued for your arrest. You tell him you never received a notice, but he says to clear it up, you must furnish some information for “verification purposes” - your birth date, social security number, driver’s license number, and maybe even a credit card number.
This is a common scam that has surfaced from time to time in many different states. Callers are so upset to learn that they might be arrested, that they often give personal information before they have time to think about it. Unfortunately, the damage is done. Identity thieves can make use of personal information within moments using the internet to open accounts and make purchases.
As always, never give personal information over the telephone unless you initiate the call to a telephone number that you have verified, and even then, be very careful.
The County Courts will mail you a Jury Duty Summons several weeks in advance of the date that you are scheduled to report. Depending on your state of residence, jurors typically are selected using voter registrations or driver’s license rolls.
If you ever do receive a call about Jury Duty, simply ask the caller’s name, and then call the Clerk of Courts in your county of residence and ask to speak to the Jury Commissioner, who can quickly verify your status for jury duty.
If you do receive a Summons to Jury Duty, call your BPBS attorney if you have any questions. Our legal system depends on the willingness of citizens to serve!