The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported a resurgence of identity thieves who pose as court officials placing telephone calls to potential victims requesting personal information. The caller states the individual has been issued a warrant for their arrest due to failure to answer a jury summons. Victims of these calls are asked to reveal their social security number, birth date and possibly a credit card number for “verification purposes.” When victims state they never received a summons, the caller tells them he/she will need some personal information “to clear up” the matter.  Being caught off guard and fearing arrest the information is given and the individual’s identity is, sadly, stolen.

A special agent in the Minneapolis field office who has heard these complaints states, “They get people saying, “Oh my gosh! I’m not a criminal. What’s going on?” That is when the scammer dangles a solution to clear up the problem. It places people on the defensive and then promises them a clean slate by giving out this information.

This fraud has been reported in 11 states. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their websites, warning individuals about this scam. Suspicious calls should be reported to your local FBI field office. Senior citizens often fall prey to this type of scam.  As a rule, court officers generally correspond with prospective jurors by way of mail, and never ask for confidential information over the phone. Never give out personal information when you receive an unsolicited phone call.