Civic Duty or Targeted Scam?
The caller says that you were chosen for jury duty, but never showed up so there's a warrant for your arrest. He needs personal information to verify your identity. You did not receive a jury duty notice. Should you panic? No, just hang up on this scam.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns that individuals claiming to be U.S. Court officials asking personal questions are not who they claim to be since court officers do not ask for confidential information over the phone. Correspondence is generally through the mail.

The callers have boldly used threats of fines or arrests when the requested information, such as Social Security Numbers or birth dates, is denied by the victims, according to the FBI. The scare tactic, which can end with callers asking for credit card numbers, has resulted in successful scams.

Do not provide any personal or confidential information to any caller claiming to be a contact from a judicial system.

These types of scams have been reported by authorities in Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Hampshire in the past few years, according to the FBI website.

If one of these suspicious calls is received, the FBI suggests that recipients contact their local District Court office or a FBI field office. If you have already been contacted and given out your personal information, monitor your account statements and contact authorities.

Parker Standbury LLP