Scam Alert! Watch for Jury Duty Phone Calls

  
 
Officials with the Indiana Judicial Center are warning about possible fake jury duty phone calls.

Judges in Henry and Hamilton Counties learned that residents received phone calls making false claims about missed jury service. The caller accused the victims of not reporting for jury duty and offered ways to resolve the situation. The victims were offered to appear in court or to provide financial information in order to pay a fine.

Indiana court officials never ask potential jurors, or those who miss jury duty, for money. Court personnel will never ask for specific bank account numbers, credit card information or Personal Identification Numbers. Jurors will never be called and pressured to reveal personal information. In Indiana, all initial contact with potential jurors is conducted in writing through the mail.

If you receive one of these phone calls, call your local law enforcement.

If a person fails to appear for jury duty, the judge can send the sheriff to compel the individual to appear in court for jury selection. A person can be held in contempt and require the individual to pay a fine for failure to appear. However, none of these actions take place over the phone.

Questions about jury duty should be directed to the clerk or court in the county in which you live.