KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — The FBI Louisville Division is warning Kentuckians about a telephone scam that claims the victim failed to report to jury duty.

During the call, the scammer impersonates a law enforcement or court officer, threatening criminal prosecution or jail time for failing to report for jury duty unless the victim were to pay a fine immediately.

The caller may request personal payment information or a prepaid gift card.

FBI Louisville said scammers may provide information that appears legitimate, such as using the real names of court officials or even “spoofing” the phone number so it appears to be from the court or government agency.

Federal courts do not call prospective jurors and ask for money or personal identifying information over the phone. If someone summoned for jury duty fails to appear, that person will receive correspondence by U.S. mail, not by phone or email.

If someone receives a call or email similar to this, FBI Louisville advises that they not provide any personal information, credit card numbers, prepaid cards, or money.

Anyone receiving a jury duty or failure to appear scam phone call should report it with a
description of the caller and any available caller ID information to FBI Internet Crime
Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.

FBI tips to avoid phone scams

• Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls.
• Never give money or personal information to someone with whom you don’t have ties and did not initiate contact.
• Trust your instincts: if an unknown caller pressures you or says things that don’t sound right, hang up.
• If concerns remain about the caller’s claims, verify the information with the appropriate law enforcement agency or court officials.