Jury Duty Scam

[k4kyv]

Another scam has been making its rounds. The scam starts out with a phone call from the scammer. They tell you they work for the local court and that you have failed to show up for your jury duty assignment. The scammer then goes on to tell you that a warrant has been issued for your arrest.

Of course, by this time, you are in panic and when they ask you for your information to verify everything, you give it to them right away. This information includes your social security number, your birth date and quite possibly, your credit card number. You know, everything the scammer needs to commit identity theft. It's an easy way to catch you off guard and when you're upset, you're more likely to give out your personal information.

The FBI has stated that this scam has occurred in Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington state. They also remind you that court workers will never call and ask you for your personal information over the phone. They usually deal with everything through the regular mail.

[NA4BH]

First off, why would anybody give a credit card number for court duty? SSN#? If they are that stupid...(fill in the blank)......... What are they thinking, they must fund the court until the case is settled?

The last Jury I was on, the Judge stated, if a potential juror did not show up she would send the Marshalls to pick you up (in hand cuffs).

[K8MHZ]

So if you give them someone else's info they will get arrested instead? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[W1GUH]

Phishing by telepone...that's gotta be dangerous.

I was telephone phished back in '84...the guy said I could by tickets for the Olympics. #As soon as he asked for my CC # I asked him who he was....he hung up immediately.

Speaking of this, just in case you haven't noticed, phishing has been at an all time high lately. #My latest one was from "paypal". #It said that I'd paid for an item, and if I wanted to contest the charge to click on their link and provide them with my PayPal credential. #

A dead giveaway is the link to click. #Neither Paypal nor eBay will have link to click, ya gotta us your own bookmark or type in the URL yourself.

If you get phishing about either of those, forward them to spoof@paypal.com or spoof@ebay.com, and they will investigate. #I always get a reply almost immediately.

I also got phishing from "Bank of America." #The bank as a similar email to forward phishing abuse@bankofamerica.com.#I'm sure other banks have their own version.

[KG6YTZ]

Quote[/b] (W1GUH @ July 05 2007,19:58)]I also got phishing from "Bank of America."
I've had a few of those too. More recently, I've been getting e-mails from "Downey Savings & Loan." These are easily spotted as scams, since I do not, and have never had, an account with either one of 'em... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Oddly enough, I have yet to receive any phishing mails allegedly sent by the bank that I actually do use. And it's not like it's some tiny nobody-has-ever-heard-of-us bank, either.

[WA3KYY]

Best one I've got so far was a phone call from a "prize agent" congratulating me on beng a finalist for a Cadilac Escalade in a contest I entered on Yahoo. The only place I've ever been is Yahoo Groups and I've never seen any contest stuff there so ......

[KD6NIG]

Its likely that a quick check of caller ID will tell the tale with these scammers.

I have been called by the jury duty people, once, from my locality. I was expecting the call, and the caller ID said COUNTY OF SJ JURY or something like that. I would think the people making these calls would likely block their ID. If not, I'd be jotting it down and calling the cops. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

The call I was waiting on, by the way, was on if we had to return as it was announced when we left the day before that a settlement may have been reached. The next morning I found it it indeed had been and I didn't have to return http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

The day I need to give my SS# (they should already have it) and a credit card number is the day I stop serving. I'm not paying them for the privledge.

And around here, if you miss, they send you a letter pretty quick ordering you to stand before the man. No phone call needed. I had a friend who forgot. He wound up being reassigned to another pool 2 weeks down the road. He was lucky they didn't fine him!

[N2RJ]

That's why these days I only answer the phone if it's people I know, or for work. Unknown number, no ID, The phone could ring off the hook for all I care.

As for jury service, I'm not (yet) a citizen, so anyone telling me I missed jury service is lying.

[k4kyv]

Another one to avoid is if your caller ID says "Toll Free Number".

Ever notice that the junk callers rarely leave a message on the answering machine?

If I'm not near the caller ID and the phone rings, I always carefully listen just as I pick it up. I immediately say "hello". If I don't get an immediate response, I hang up. Very often the calls are made by a robot, and the operator on duty only connects after they are alerted that someone has answered a call, so there may be a few seconds of silence before the caller responds. By then, I am long gone.

[NA4BH]

Quote[/b] (k4kyv @ July 06 2007,11:54)]Another one to avoid is if your caller ID says "Toll Free Number".

Ever notice that the junk callers rarely leave a message on the answering machine? #

If I'm not near the caller ID and the phone rings, I always carefully listen just as I pick it up. #I immediately say "hello". If I don't get an immediate response, I hang up. #Very often the calls are made by a robot, and the operator on duty only connects after they are alerted that someone has answered a call, so there may be a few seconds of silence before the caller responds. #By then, I am long gone.
Our phones have voice caller ID. This way we do not even have to look at the phone.

[WF7A]

I often wonder how successful eBay nabs phishers--I'm barraged by their e-mails constantly and I dutifully send them on to spoof@ebay (or paypal).

The latest telephone scam here is the "Idaho Police Fund" or something like that--they call asking for a token $10 donation to help officers who have been injured or killed in the line of service. (There's no such fund and the police don't solicit by phone.) Our caller ID always shows "out of area" when they call so that's yet another eyebrow raiser that they're not legit. People give them their credit card--bad move.

[KA9VQF]

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