U.S. District Court Warns Of Jury Duty Scam Calls
A jury duty call scam that’s been around for more than a decade is popping up again in Indiana. As Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Drew Daudelin reports, it’s been so prevalent lately that the US District Court for Southern Indiana is now warning Hoosiers not to fall for it.
When someone gets a call from the scammer, they hear that they’ve failed to appear for jury service. Then they’re told they can pay a fine, with pre-paid gift cards, to avoid being arrested.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson says courts never contact anyone by phone. Communications about jury duty always come in writing.
“The court will never sanction someone without there first being a hearing,” Magnus-Stinson says. “And the court will never request any payment by phone for failing to appear.”
Reports of the scam say the caller often poses as a court employee named David Simmons.
Victims in Indiana have lost between $500 and $2,000 to the scam, the court says.
U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler says he can’t discuss their investigation into the scam. But he says the crime is technically wire fraud, which carries a sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
