Court does not make phone calls, demand payments for missed jury duty
Fort Wayne, Ind. – A recurring scam involving phone calls claiming that the recipient has missed jury duty and owes a fine have surfaced again in Allen County.
The calls have been reported several times this week and originate from a 260 area code telephone number. An individual claiming to be a law enforcement officer instructs the recipient that they have missed jury duty, a warrant has been issued for his or her arrest and that the person must provide the scammer with gift card numbers by phone in order to satisfy a resulting fine.
“These calls do not originate from any legitimate source,” said Allen Superior Court Chief Judge Nancy Eshcoff Boyer. “These callers are criminals, plain and simple, trying to defraud people into believing they are in trouble when they are not. Prospective jurors who fail to respond to a legitimate summons have never – and will never – be pursued in such a manner. “
In Allen County, all legitimate contact with prospective jurors occurs in writing, beginning with a postcard requesting certain information to determine eligibility for jury service. Personal information, such as bank or credit card numbers, or any type of payment obligation, is never requested.
Anyone with questions about jury duty service, including questions regarding the legitimacy of an unsolicited contact, may call the Allen Superior Court Jury Management Office at (260) 449-7520 or (260) 449-7022.
####