If someone calls you claiming you owe money for not showing up jury duty or some other infraction, it’s a scam, officials said in a news release Friday.
U.S. Marshal Service, the FBI as well as local sheriff’s departments and offices received complaints from Hampton Roads residents who received calls from people claiming to be with a police agency demanding money.
The caller threatens the person with jail time for not reporting to jury duty or other infractions, officials said.
Victims have been told they can avoid arrest by paying a fine using a reloadable credit card. They are urged to immediately call a number and provide their credit card number to initiate the process.
The scam may take different forms, and the caller ID may even display the name of the agency the caller claims to represent, but officials said it is a scam.
In order to appear more credible, the scammers may even provide fake badge numbers and the names of actual federal judges and courthouse addresses.
“The public is reminded that law enforcement agencies, whether federal, state or local, do not call private citizens on the telephone to request money or arrange the payment of fines, and are urged not to divulge personal information to unknown callers,” U.S. Marshal Service officials said in a news release.
If you receive a call, hang up and report the call through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov<http://www.ic3.gov/, or report the call to your local law enforcement agency.
