Have you been contacted about jury duty? It could be a scam
Court officials are reporting another string of scam calls, emails and texts to Oregonians threatening them with fines, prosecution or jail time for failing to report for jury duty.
According to the Oregon Judicial Department, most of the recent reports of the scams are from the Willamette Valley, but other areas may also be targeted.
"In these calls, emails, or texts, recipients are pressured to provide confidential data such as bank account information, credit card numbers, date of birth or social security numbers, potentially leading to identity theft and fraud," Oregon Judicial Department staff said in a statement. "These fraudulent calls or messages – which threaten recipients with fines and jail time if they do not comply – are not connected with the state or federal courts."
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State and federal courts do not require anyone to provide sensitive information in a telephone call, email or text.
Officials stressed that Oregon state courts may provide jury notices and reminders by text but would never request personal information, make threats or demand money.
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They advised people receiving the bogus jury-related telephone call, email or text demanding information or money to not provide the requested information or payment, reply directly to the text or email, click on any links or open any attachments — even if it appears that the message is coming from the court or a local police agency.
"Scammers can often create messages that look like they are coming from a legitimate source," court officials said. "If possible, get the caller's name and number and then hang up."
Those targeted are advised to reach out directly to the local court to verify or report the contact.
For state courts, including the circuit courts in each Oregon county, report the call or contact to the local circuit court jury coordinator immediately.
"Jury duty is a vital civic responsibility and should be taken seriously by all citizens," court officials said. "However, it is a crime for anyone to falsely represent himself or herself as a state or federal court official."
Contact information for Oregon’s state circuit courts is available at courts.oregon.gov/courts.
For Oregon’s federal courts, information about jury service and possible scams is available at ord.uscourts.gov/jurors.
Those who gave out personal information during the scams are advised to monitor their account statements and credit reports carefully.
If any unauthorized charges are made, they should report the theft to local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission at 877-438-4338 or consumer.gov/idtheft and contact a credit bureau to request that it place a fraud alert on their credit history.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Have you been called for jury duty? It could be a scam
