Missed jury duty? Scammers hope you think so
陪审团义务诈骗增多，骗子冒充法院或执法机构威胁受害者支付金钱或提供个人信息。常见手段包括伪造案件编号、逼真来电显示及要求用礼品卡等支付方式。若收到类似电话，请挂断并核实真实情况，切勿泄露个人信息或转账。 2025-9-2 22:29:45 Author: blog.avast.com(查看原文) 阅读量:15 收藏

Jury duty scams are on the rise. Learn how to recognize the red flags, protect your personal data, and verify real court notices.

“You missed jury duty and there’s a warrant out for your arrest.” If you've received a call like this, take a breath. Odds are, it's not the court—it’s a scam. These jury duty scams are making the rounds again, and they’re catching people off guard. They sound official, feel urgent, and aim to pressure you into handing over money or personal info. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe and scam-proof. 

Why this scam matters
Jury duty scams aren’t new—but they’re getting bolder, and more convincing. The idea is simple: A scammer calls you pretending to be from your local court or law enforcement. They tell you that you’ve missed jury duty and now face fines or even jail time—unless you pay up or give them your Social Security number or credit card info.

Sounds scary, right? That’s the point.

In a recent case in Tennessee, a retired teacher nearly lost $3,000 after a convincing caller told her she’d be arrested within the hour for skipping jury duty. All the details sounded real—right down to the case number and the caller ID. But it was all a lie.

 

Let’s break down how you can tell it's a scam, and what to do next. How to tell if a jury duty call is a scam 

Here’s the good news: You can spot jury duty scams if you know what to look for. Start with these red flags:

  • You never received a jury summons: Courts don’t assign jury duty out of the blue. If you never got a letter or formal notice by mail, chances are high this call is fake. 
  • Government agencies won’t ask for payment over the phone: Legitimate courts will never threaten you with arrest or demand payment via phone call. They don’t operate like debt collectors. 
  • They ask for strange payment methods: If someone’s asking for CashApp, gift cards, wire transfers, or even Bitcoin, that’s a scam. Period. No government agency takes iTunes gift cards as bail money. 
  • They ask for sensitive information: Social Security numbers, credit card info, banking details—all red flags. Courts never ask for this info over the phone.

Pro tip: Want to know how to tell if a jury summons is real? A genuine summons will arrive by official mail, not text or phone call. If you’re still unsure, you can always verify directly with your local court. 

What to do if you receive a jury duty scam call 

1. Hang up immediately. 
Don’t engage, argue, or explain—just end the call. The longer you stay on, the more tactics they’ll try.

2. Don’t give out any information. 
No personal details. No payments. Nothing. Even confirming your name can give them something to work with.

3. Call your local court directly. 
If you’re genuinely concerned that you missed jury duty, reach out to your court clerk or check their website. They’ll confirm whether you’ve been summoned.

4. Report the scam. 
You can report the number to the FTC, your local law enforcement, or the state attorney general. It helps them track patterns and protect others. These steps don’t just apply to jury duty scams. They’re solid advice for any suspicious call, email, or text. If it smells fishy, it probably is.

Jury duty scams are guilty as charged.Scammers know how to sound convincing. But now, so do you. The more people who learn to spot these calls, the less effective they become.

Want even stronger protection? That’s where we come in. Think someone’s trying to scam you. Protect yourself with the new AI-powered Avast Assistant in Avast Free Antivirus. 


文章来源: https://blog.avast.com/jury-duty
如有侵权请联系:admin#unsafe.sh