PUBLIC NOTICE: INCREASE IN JUROR SCAM ACTIVITY
Alabama citizens are being targeted by phone calls from a person claiming to be from the U.S. Marshal’s Service regarding failure to report for “Grand Jury,” or “Jury,” duty.
In the latest version of this scam, the recipient of the phone call is told that they have missed reporting for Grand Jury, and that the “Judge,” has levied penalties and fines against them. The caller, purporting to be a Deputy U.S. Marshal, then instructs the individual to purchase “cash cards,” or “money cards,” from a retail store to pay for said penalties and fines. The individual is instructed to give the caller the 10-digit PINS on the cards so they can access the money.
PLEASE DO NOT PAY ANY MONEY TO ANYONE WHO CALLS YOU CLAIMING TO REPRESENT THIS COURT. We will not call, email, or write you a letter, attempting to collect fines for failure to appear or respond to jury service. We will not ask for any sensitive information (social security number, driver’s license number, banking information, credit card/ATM numbers, etc.) via telephone or email.
Persons receiving such a telephone call, email or letter, should not provide the requested information, and should notify local law enforcement (police department, U.S. Marshal’s Office, FBI).
If you have any questions or concerns regarding any attempted contact from the Jury Office or a law enforcement agency regarding jury service, please tell the caller that you are going to call the Court directly to verify the information.
PLEASE NOTE: If you fail to report for jury service in this Court, someone in the Jury Office may attempt to reach you by phone. Generally, we will ask why you failed to report for service and we will instruct you to submit this information in writing. As stated above, we will not ask for sensitive information or request you to pay a fine. You may also receive a letter from the Jury Office advising you of your failure to appear. This letter will not ask for sensitive information or request you to pay a fine.
Jury duty is a vital civic responsibility and should be taken seriously by all citizens. However, it is a crime for anyone to falsely represent himself or herself as a federal court official. The federal judiciary takes seriously such an offense.
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Bogus Phone Calls, Emails on Jury Service May Lead to Fraud - Click here for more information.
The federal judiciary has learned of an email scam, in which emails purporting to come from the “National EJuror Program” are instructing recipients to provide personal identifiers (SSN, DOB, mother’s maiden name, etc.) as part of an “Ejury Duty Form.” Federal courts that use eJuror, however, never request that personal identification information be sent directly in an email response. Requests by courts to complete a juror qualification questionnaire would be initiated by formal written correspondence through the U.S. Mail and prospective jurors would be provided instructions in that written correspondence as to how to authenticate juror participation by way of a secure connection. If you receive an email requesting that you provide personal identification information as part of an “Ejury Duty Form,” you should contact the federal court in your jurisdiction before opening any attachments or links and you should not send any personal identification directly in an email.