Jury duty phone scam: what to know

(Editor’s Note: This is the sixth installment of our Scam Series. We’ve now covered all manner of scams. One of our interviewees told us how she nearly got had by a jury duty scam. She wondered what really happens when you miss jury duty. So we found out.)

 A persistent phone call scam has continued to resurface in Fayette, Coweta, and surrounding counties in the past few years, with callers impersonating law enforcement officers and falsely reporting that the recipient has missed jury duty and faces possible criminal charges. The scammer then demands that the individual provides payment or personal information in order to avoid prosecution. 

After writing about the jury duty scam in an article in The Citizen’s scam series, a continued rise in phone scams left more to be looked into about this scam in particular. The Citizen asked local court clerks about what really happens if you miss jury duty. Coweta County State Court Clerk Sheila W. Echols got back to us with valuable information about recognizing this scam and what to actually expect if you miss jury duty. Echols says the biggest red flag individuals should look out for is the scammer calling people in the first place.

“We never call people for anything,” Echols emphasized. “The court system does not have access to phone numbers. Any communication we send will be by mail.”

If someone misses jury duty they are placed on a no-show list and may later receive a summons through the mail-not by phone. 

The FBI made a statement with warnings about this scam and how to avoid becoming a victim:

• Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls
• Never give money or personal information to someone with whom you don’t have ties and did not initiate contact
• Trust your instincts: if an unknown caller pressures you, or says things that don’t sound right, hang up
• If concerns remain about the caller’s claims, verify the information with the appropriate law enforcement agency or court officials

Anyone who receives one of these scam calls is encouraged to report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.