This week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about an increase in jury duty scams.
In these scams, an imposter will call a target about missing jury duty, then threaten the potential victim with jail time if a fine is not paid. A recent news report from Miami-Dade County states that authorities there are seeing an alarming number of jury duty scams.
“This scam is so troubling because the scammer on the phone will threaten a victim with potential jail time if a fine is not paid. Floridians should know that failing to report for jury duty is not grounds for immediate arrest, and court officials will never demand payment over the phone. By being aware of how to avoid this increasingly common scam, we can build a ‘Stronger, Safer Florida,’” Moody said.
To avoid jury duty scams, Floridians should know that:
A jury duty summons will never be delivered over the phone; it will always come via mail. Also, officials will not call regarding a summons if a person did not receive a summons in the mail;
Court officials will not demand payment over the phone, nor ask that payment be wired or made through a gift card. A tell-tale sign of a jury scam is a caller aggressively demanding payment;
Personal or financial information should never be given to strangers, especially over the phone;
Caller IDs may be spoofed to appear to be coming from a law enforcement agency or other government entity, so be cautious of caller ID—even if it looks like a real source; and
If there is a valid jury duty issue, contact a local court clerk’s office directly.
The Florida Bar reminds Floridians to be cautious over the phone and remember that an authentic jury summons will only ever come in the mail from the United States Postal Service.
Report suspected jury duty scams to law enforcement, as well as to the local county clerk’s office using the Florida Clerks website. Anyone who may encounter an imposter trying to orchestrate a jury duty scam can file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General’s Office online at MyFloridaLegal.com or by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.
