Crime & Safety
Pima County Residents Targeted In Juror Phone Scam: What To Do
Scammers targeting Tucson and Pima County residents "can be quite forceful and threatening," court officials say.
TUCSON, AZ — A caller who “can be quite forceful and threatening” is scamming Pima County residents and telling them they owe fines for failure to appear for jury duty and the only way to avoid arrest is to pay up, court officials are warning.
The caller claims to be a police officer or representative of the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County, the court said in a news release. Those who receive the calls are often told they can pay fines by buying Green Dot cards, but sometimes are told to report to the courthouse or to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
“Do not make any payments, provide Green dot card numbers, credit card information or any other personal information, and never give out your Social Security number,” the release said.
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The court said those who don’t appear for jury duty are not contacted by phone or email. Rather, they will be mailed a notice card reading: “Failure to appear notice: Our records indicate you failed to appear as instructed for jury service on the date noted above.”
If a second notice is mailed, it will include instructions to immediately call the jury office to reschedule jury service. Failure to do so may result in action by the court under Arizona law.
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What To Do
The court asked anyone who has been contacted by the scammers to call the Jury Commissioner’s Office at 520-724-4222 to verify whether a jury summons is in effect.
The scam calls are occurring nationwide, and residents who receive the call are also asked to file an online report with the Federal Trade Commission at the “file a consumer complaint” Link.
Tucson residents are asked to file a complaint with the Tucson Police Department or any of its substations, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by calling 520-791-4444.
Pima County residents outside the city of Tucson may file a fraud report online with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, or by calling 520-351-4900 or 888-477-2328.
Anyone who has lost money should immediately contact their local law enforcement agency.
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