Federal Judge warns against New Phone Scam Involving Jury Duty

Federal Judge warns against New Phone Scam Involving Jury Duty -

The federal chief judge in Southern Illinois has warned consumers Tuesday not not be a victim of a new telephone scam that can lead to identity theft. Potential victims of the scam receive a call from someone posing as an officer of the court informing the recipient of the call they continued to avoid jury duty, according to US District Judge David Herndon. The caller then tries to collect as much personal information - like a social security number or credit card -. As they can, then uses the information to commit identity theft

The judge warned that the calls are not legitimate, and reminded consumers that federal courts do not require anyone to provide personal information by phone, contact the place of the federal courts are written on paper.

What should you do if you receive a call from a scammer?

1. Hang up and reveal none of your personal information: If you receive a call from a scammer posing as a court official, then you must ensure that you do not reveal your personal information to the scammer and hang up the phone immediately.

2. Notify the clerk of the local Federal Court: Since this scam involves the federal courts, you'll want to make sure that you report it to them, according to Herndon. Just call the clerk of the local federal court and let them know that you have been contacted by someone posing as a court official. Also, make sure to include a phone number of the scammer - if you can provide. You can find contact information for the clerk of the local federal court using the locator tool of the Federal Court here.

If you have already received a call from a scammer and worry that you revealed your personal information, we recommend that you look into signing up for a service protection against identity theft. These services monitor your personal information to verify that none of it is misused or sold on the black market on the Internet. Read this blog to learn more about these valuable services, or visit our protection against identity theft compare chart to see which service will best suit your needs.