Jury Duty Scam

A new identity theft exploit referred to as “Jury Duty Scam” is a phone fraud that could affect you. Beware if anyone contacts you via telephone, and claims to be a local court official. He/she could be a fraudster.

Scam scenario

The caller states that he/she is a court official and accuses you of failing to report for jury duty. He/she says as a consequence, a warrant has been issued for arrest. In turn, you rightly state that you never received a summons or notification.

To “clear things up,” the fraudster then requests personal and confidential information, such as your Social Security number and birth date. And possibly for “verification purposes,” the fraudster continues to ask for payment information like a credit card number, or bank account number, and or bank account details for alleged fines.

Beware of these thieves

Fraudsters are appealing to your sense of social consciousness and fear of prosecution.

Members are advised not to give personal information over the phone.

The fraudster’s goal is to steal your identity. Because of this theft, you could suffer substantial financial setback, and will spend hours trying to recover losses.

Protect your identity

Take these precautions to keep your identity safe:

• Verify the legitimacy of the caller by asking for the official name and contact information, then use directory assistance to verify the information.

• Never rely on the phone number the caller provides as a means of verifying the call. Often fraudsters have an accomplice who will answer the phone to appear legitimate in the event of a return call.

• No matter how official the caller sounds, legitimate businesses and government agencies will not ask for personal, confidential or financial information in their correspondence.

Source: Visa U.S.A. Inc.