Jury Duty Scam
The telephone rings, you answer, and the caller identifies themselves as an officer of the court. The person says you failed to show up for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says they'll need some information for
"verification purposes" your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.
Jury Duty Scams have been around for years, it seems recently there has been a resurgence. Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a warning to all Illinois residents that unsuspected calls from the court system may actually be from identity thieves trying to scare residents into believing they have neglected their jury duty responsibility and must give out personal information to avoid being arrested or fined.
Federal and local courts will NEVER ask residents to provide personal or financial information over the phone. If you receive a phone call from someone identifiying themselves as being from the court, hang up the phone immediately.
An official jury summons is delivered by mail and asks the juror to provide his or her date of birth, employer, marital status, and a list of children.
However, a jury summons NEVER asks for a potential juror's Social Security Number or other financial information.
Reports of Jury Scams and any other identity theft scams should be reported to Madigan's new Identity Theft Hotline at 1-866-999-5630.