Scam Alert
The Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida is warning that the public may be targeted by a caller posing as a court employee and using threats to get personal information for fraud.
The caller identifies himself as a representative of a county or district court, and tells the citizen he or she has failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for their arrest. When the citizen claims they never received a jury duty notification, the scam artist then asks the citizen for confidential information, including birth date, address and Social Security number for “verification” purposes. This information is then used to steal the victim’s identity.
Federal and county courts do not require anyone to provide sensitive information in a telephone call. Most contact between any court and a prospective juror will be through the U.S. Mail, and any phone contact by real court officials will not include requests for social security numbers, credit card numbers, or any other sensitive information.
Consumers who receive suspicious calls regarding failure to report for jury duty can contact the Better Business Bureau at 1-800-729-9226.
