New Telephone Scam

Type: Jury Duty Vishing Scam
Method of Delivery: Phone call from an alleged court officer


Primary Region Effected: Reports from 11 states, including: Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Hampshire; may spread nationally


Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (http://www.fbi.gov/)


Scam Characteristics:



A caller identifies him/herself as an officer of the court and notifies the victim that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for a failure to report for jury duty. If the victim protests they have never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks for a Social Security number and date of birth to verify the victim's identity and cancel the arrest warrant. This fraud is spreading quickly and has been reported in 11 states so far.

Recommended Precautions:


Be Suspicious



These vishing scams (a combination of the words "voice" and "phishing") are designed to get you to provide criminals with your personal and financial information. Most organizations will not ask you to provide your sensitive information during an unsolicited phone call, so any caller that does should immediately send up a red flag.


Never Provide Your Sensitive Information to Unsolicited Callers



Sensitive information includes your Social Security number, your credit card or debit card numbers, your birth date or birthplace, your vehicle registration plate number, and any other information you wish to keep private.


Contact the Court in Question



To determine the legitimacy of the call, contact the court in question at a number that can be found in the phone book, on a phone directory website, or by calling directory assistance.


Sensitive information includes your Social Security number, your credit card or debit card numbers, your birth date or birthplace, your vehicle registration plate number, and any other information you wish to keep private.