Jury Duty Scam: FBI Alert & How to Avoid Being a Victim

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses concerns regarding a jury duty scam that has been reported in multiple states. Participants share their personal experiences and strategies for handling suspicious phone calls, particularly those requesting personal information.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions that the scam involves a caller posing as a jury coordinator who requests personal information under the pretense of verifying jury duty summons.
  • Another participant expresses distrust towards phone calls in general, noting the difficulty in verifying the identity of callers.
  • A participant shares a tactic of asking callers for their own last four digits of the Social Security number as a way to verify their identity.
  • Another participant agrees with the tactic of verifying callers' identities and praises the approach.
  • One participant recounts a strange call from their bank, highlighting the confusion caused by unusual caller ID numbers and the importance of caution.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the effectiveness of caller ID and the general trustworthiness of phone calls, with some participants expressing skepticism and others sharing strategies for verification.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects personal experiences with phone scams and the challenges of identifying legitimate callers, emphasizing a shared concern for privacy and security.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants and community members interested in sharing experiences related to phone scams and identity verification may find this discussion relevant.

chefkristin
chefkristin
Gold Member
Messages
2,903
Jury Duty Scam DO NOT DELETE WITHOUT READING !

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surf aced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the inform action and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206htm

And here: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Jury Duty Scam
 
Ick... I don't believe any folks who try to call me for anything. I had it out with my mortgage company even who wanted to sign me up for something new. I told them to mail it to me. I don't know if they really were my mortgage company. Geesh... Even with Caller ID it's hard to tell sometimes. Thanks for the warning Kristin. I think it's easy just to not trust ANYONE on the phone when they call you, especially if they start asking for info to 'verify' who you are. Uhhhh... and how can WE verify who THEY are? We can't... I think it's healthy to be a little paranoid these days.
 
If someone asks me for the last four digits of my SS number, I just ask them to tell ME the last four digits of my SS number and I'll verify that it's correct. They don't like that very much.
 
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
If someone asks me for the last four digits of my SS number, I just ask them to tell ME the last four digits of my SS number and I'll verify that it's correct. They don't like that very much.
Click to expand...
Good idea!
 
KG, you are wise and brilliant beyond your years! :)
 
Well, TY but I fear my years are well past my wisdom and brilliance.
 
The caller id isn't always helpful, I agree! The other day, I got a call about our checking account from our local bank. Apparently, a check my husband wrote somehow got "deposited" back into our account, and they wanted our permission to run it through again. Kinda weird, really.

But, the really bizarre part was, the caller id number had so many numbers on it, I thought it was Mexico calling me or something! They didn't ask for any information, so I didn't think it was a big deal, really, but you definitely have to ALWAYS be careful!!

Paula
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Jury Duty Scam?

The Jury Duty Scam is a fraudulent scheme where scammers impersonate law enforcement or court officials to trick individuals into believing they have missed jury duty. Victims are often threatened with arrest or fines unless they provide personal information or make payments immediately.

How do scammers typically contact their victims?

Scammers may contact victims via phone calls, emails, or even text messages. They often use spoofed phone numbers to make it appear as though the call is coming from a legitimate government agency, which adds to their credibility.

What should I do if I receive a call about missed jury duty?

If you receive such a call, do not provide any personal information or make any payments. Instead, hang up and verify the legitimacy of the claim by contacting your local court directly using official contact information found on their website.

How can I protect myself from falling victim to this scam?

To protect yourself, be cautious of unsolicited calls or messages regarding jury duty. Always verify the identity of the caller, do not share personal information over the phone, and be aware of the common tactics used by scammers, such as threats and urgency.

What should I do if I believe I have been a victim of the Jury Duty Scam?

If you believe you have been a victim, report the incident to your local law enforcement and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additionally, consider monitoring your financial accounts for any unauthorized transactions and place a fraud alert on your credit report.

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