Prince George’s County recently sent a message out to its residents, warning them about a jury duty telephone scam.
Fraudsters call and claim to represent the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, telling residents that they are in contempt of court for failing to report for jury duty. Then the caller says the resident will be arrested if he or she doesn’t pay a fine.
The United States Courts stressed on its website that these calls are not from court officials.
Says the United States Courts in a written statement:
“Federal courts do not require anyone to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call. Most contact between a federal 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.â€
If you ever receive a call from someone claiming that you owe a fine for missed jury duty, do not give out any information. You should also immediately notify the Clerk of Court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area.