Jury Duty Scam

There's a phone scam that has hit up at least a half-dozen residents for bogus fines. From today's News-Gazette:

Sheriff: Jury-duty threat a scam
Circuit clerk’s office doesn’t call prospective jurors or issue arrest warrant ‘if you fail to appear’
...
“The ones I was aware of (involved) a phone call. ‘You failed to appear for jury duty. There is a warrant for your arrest unless you pay,’” Walsh said of the scheme.

Lending credibility to the call was that the scammer used the names of two of Walsh’s employees, one a road deputy and another a courthouse security officer.

Although failure to report for jury service could result in a scolding from a judge, the chances of a warrant being issued forcing a citizen to show up are about slim to none.

“In the 16½ years I’ve been here, it has not happened,” Walsh said.

Circuit Clerk Katie Blakeman, whose office is responsible for summoning jurors, agreed.

“One, we would never contact someone by phone for jury service. And two, we would not issue a warrant for your arrest if you fail to appear,” she said.

Her office first sends a postcard to a potential juror asking them to fill out a questionnaire. People who can serve get their follow-up summons “in an envelope with all the information on when to appear and what to do.”

Anyone with questions about jury service should call Blakeman’s office at 217-384-3725.

And anyone like Jeckel who has been on the receiving end of an attempt to extort money from them should call 911.

Full article here.