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Last updated on Monday, January 5, 2015
(UNDATED) - A telephone scam is informing residents they missed jury duty and are now facing a fine.
Here's how it works: You get a call from someone claiming to be with court staff or law enforcement. They inform you that you failed to report for jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay a fine immediately.
The thieves try to get you to purchase a prepaid card to pay the fine. One Indiana consumer recently paid $800 to a jury duty scammer.
If you get a call like this, hang up immediately.
Attorney General Greg Zoeller said a caller demanding an immediate payment over the phone should raise a big red flag, especially if they are using fear tactics like threatening jail time. Being asked to use a pre-paid card to make a payment is also a common sign of a scam. Zoeller says, government offices will never use these tactics.
In 2014, the Attorney General's Office received 20 complaints involving the jury duty scam.
If you are targeted by the jury duty scam, report it to the Indiana Attorney General's Office by filing a consumer complaint online at www.IndianaConsumer.com or by calling (888) 834-9969.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller reminds Hoosiers to sign up for Indiana's Do Not Call list to help deter unwanted calls. If you are on the Do Not Call list, and receive an unsolicited call, it is likely a scam. Sign up for the Do Not Call list by visiting www.IndianaConsumer.com or by calling (888) 834 -9969.
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