Jury duty scam prompts warning from LA County Superior Court

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Los Angeles County residents were being warned Saturday about a jury duty scam involving callers falsely claiming people missed jury service and could face arrest.

The scam involves callers claiming a person failed to report for jury duty and has an outstanding warrant, according to the court.

Court officials urged residents to be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, emails or text messages regarding jury service, particularly communications that threaten arrest, claim a warrant has been issued, demand immediate action or seek personal or financial information.

The court does not call, text or email residents to threaten them with arrest, demand that they immediately report to a courthouse or request personal or financial information, officials said.

“The Court will never ask for Social Security numbers, credit card details, or bank information by phone or email,” according to a court statement.

Residents who receive suspicious jury-related communications were advised not to provide personal, financial or other identifying information, make payments or follow payment instructions provided by a caller.

Court officials also warned residents not to click on links or respond to suspicious text messages or emails and cautioned that a caller’s possession of personal information should not be considered proof the communication is legitimate.

The court sends jury-related text notifications only to people who have specifically opted to receive them.

Residents can verify their jury service status through the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s juror services website at lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/juror-services.

People who believe they have been targeted by a jury duty scam were encouraged to report the incident to their local law enforcement agency or the Superior Court. Suspicious communications and scams can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.