AG Alert: Con Artists Guilty of Jury Scam

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is warning Arkansans to be wary of con artists attempting to convince unsuspecting consumers that they have missed jury duty and are facing law enforcement action. The scammers often call consumers under the guise of representing a law enforcement agency or court official, claiming that the individual faces a fine or imprisonment for missing jury duty. AG Rutledge encourages all Arkansans to verify the legitimacy of their jury summons by contacting their county’s circuit clerk directly.

“Intimidation and impersonation are common practices for con artists,” said AG Rutledge. “These criminals are becoming more brazen by offering consumers a badge number and spoofing their phone number to make the call look like it is coming from the courthouse or local law enforcement agency. Scams may sound legitimate, but before providing any personal information to the person on the other end of the phone, consumers should confirm the accuracy of the information with their local court.”

AG Rutledge released the following tips for consumers who are contacted by these scammers:

• Contact your local circuit clerk to determine whether you truly are expected to report for jury duty.

• Contact local law enforcement and provide the name and badge number you received to verify the officer’s information and confirm that you were contacted by that officer.

• Court officials will not ask for your personal information, such as your Social Security number, address, credit card number or any other personal or financial information. Verifying any information over the phone could lead to other scams or identity theft.

• Court officials will never ask individuals to pay fines with gift cards or bitcoin. It is probably a scam if an individual asks you to transfer currency into bitcoin. Hang up the phone.

If you fall victim to one of these phone scams, file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. For more tips to avoid being scammed and other consumer-related issues, visit ArkansasAG.gov or call the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office at (800) 482-8982.

The Attorney General’s office also makes presentations on scams to organizations and groups. To schedule a scam prevention presentation email speaker@arkansasag.gov or visit ArkansasAG.gov.