Jury Duty Scam: What is it and How to Spot them? - Truecaller Scam Alert

Jury Duty Scams

What are jury duty scams?

In a jury duty scam, fraudsters impersonate government, court, or law enforcement officials and, through trickery, persuade their targets to give up their money or personal information. They also threaten legal consequences to unsuspecting, law-abiding citizens who place their trust in the legal system. Jury duty scams have been reported in countries like the USA, Ireland, Australia and Canada.

In North Texas, scammers called an individual claiming to be from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, stating that the person had to pay a fine for missing jury duty. The voice message said, "We have received proper documentation stating that you have missed a civil duty court mate, better known as jury duty, and you will need to come out here to the sheriff's office as soon as possible,” and included a phone number to call back. When the individual returned the call, the scammer asked them to either meet in person to pay the fine or go to a local store like Walmart to buy a cash card and use it to pay. A local judge has since warned citizens about the jury duty scam, emphasizing that the sheriff's department will never call and ask for money.

Common tactics used in jury duty scams

Unsolicited call:

A jury duty phone scam involves scammers calling citizens and trying to intimidate them by saying they’ve missed jury duty and threaten them of immediate arrest or fines.

Fake emails or messages:

Beware of emails or messages about jury duty service, especially if they contain a link. These are malicious and should not be clicked. If you have been selected for a jury service, you will be informed through official channels of your country.

Impersonating authorities:

To enhance their credibility, scammers often use actual names of authorities pretending to call from law enforcement agencies or court. Sometimes they spoof phone numbers, making it seem like the call is coming from a government or law enforcement office. They may also present fake court orders making their target even more scared.

Ask for sensitive information:

One of the clever ways scammers extract personal information is by saying, “This is for identity verification.” Believing the call is from an actual law enforcement office or government authority, individuals often give up sensitive information, bank details, and identity proofs which are later used for identity theft and stealing funds.

Unusual payment request:

Scammers usually ask for immediate payment and that too using untraceable sources like wire transfers, gift cards, or prepaid debit cards.

Things you should know about jury duty

Jury duty summons are sent by mail or official channels, not through phone calls.
Law enforcement authorities never ask for payments related to jury duty nor do they contact you about an arrest for missing jury duty.
If anyone asks for payment through gift cards, wire transfers or any other untraceable method, consider it a red flag.

No government authority will ask you to disclose your personal information over a phone call.

What to do if you are a victim of a jury duty scam?

Contact your bank:

To avoid further damage, it is important that you contact your bank immediately. They will help you out with the next steps and assist in freezing your account.

Contact local police:

Collect all evidence, including phone records, any messages exchanged, and proof of payment if applicable, and report the incident to your local police. Any form of documentation will assist them in investigating the matter more effectively.

Monitor your bank accounts:

Keep monitoring your accounts so that you can quickly dispute any unwarranted charges.

Stop communicating with the scammer:

Do not communicate with the scammer to try to get your money back. That never works, and in some cases, they’ve even convinced victims to pay more in hopes of recovering their lost money.

Report the phone number on Truecaller:

Reporting the scammer's phone number on Truecaller is important, as it helps warn others and prevent them from falling victim to the same fraud.