If the phone rings and someone on the other end of the call says it’s time for jury duty, beware.
The Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s office is reminding residents that notices of jury service and failure-to-appear notifications are still mailed, and not made over the telephone. The warning comes after the clerk’s office received word from their state association that these kinds of calls are going out, said Darcy Foster, director of strategic enterprise for the clerk’s office.
Some of these calls also seek sensitive personal information, which should never be provided to an unsolicited phone caller, the clerk’s office advises.
The fraudulent telephone calls generally follow the same lines, the clerk’s office notes, claiming it’s coming from the office of the court. The caller threatens to have a warrant issued for an arrest if that person does not report for jury duty.
When the person receiving the calls says they never received a notice or summons, they’re then prompted to give information like birthdate, Social Security number or even credit or bank account information, according to the clerk’s office.
When that happens, the person receiving the call should hang up the telephone and report the call to a local law enforcement agency, Foster said.
They can even take the additional step of reporting the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov, or call (877) 382-4357.
Anyone with questions about jury duty notices or summons can call O’Neill’s office at (800) 368-2411, ext. 2200.
