Bronson Warns Consumers About Jury Duty Scam
For Information, Contact:
Terence McElroy
(850) 488-3022
January 15, 2009
TALLAHASSEE - Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today alerted consumers to a growing identity theft scam in which con artists posing as courthouse workers claim that the person being called has failed to report for jury duty.
The scam has been reported in 11 states, although it is unclear whether it has surfaced in Florida, officials say.
“If you get such a call, hang up and avoid providing any personal or financial information over the phone,” Bronson said. “Court workers don’t call on the phone to inform you that you’ve missed a jury duty summons.”
The scam typically involves a call from a person claiming to be a jury coordinator who informs the person being called that a warrant has been issued for his or her arrest as a result of the person’s failure to appear for jury duty. When the intended victim protests and reports that he or she never received a summons to report for jury duty, they are asked for a social security number, a date of birth and sometimes even a bank account number.
Providing the information enables the scam artist to clean out the consumer’s bank account and open up other accounts, obtain credit cards and establish other lines of credit in the victim’s name, Bronson warned.
“This is a particularly insidious fraud because most people take jury duty seriously and naturally would want to clear up any misunderstanding about whether they failed to show up for it as quickly as possible,” Bronson said. “Such a call would understandably upset most people, especially with the threat of arrest, and catch them off guard.”
The scam has reportedly surfaced in New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oklahoma and other states in recent years, and authorities are fearful that it may be spreading.
It is yet another example of how con artists try to rip off consumers.
“People need to always remember to avoid giving any personal or financial information over the telephone to anyone whose identity they have not verified,” Bronson said.
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