Nixon warns of jury duty scam

At least 10 states have reported incidents of scammers posing as officers of state and federal courts and attempting to steal personal information.

The scammers call individuals claiming the person has failed to show up for jury duty. After threatening arrest, the caller then asks for confidential information – such as a Social Security number or credit card number.

“These individuals are using the old ‘phishing’ scam, but this one has the new element of fraudulently threatening the intended victim with arrest,” Nixon said in a news release. “Missourians need to remember: never give out personal financial information to people you don’t know. Legitimate organizations will never ask for it.”

Courts usually contact potential jurors by mail, not by telephone, and do not need to know a person’s Social Security number or credit card number, said Mike Buenger, Missouri state courts administrator, in the release.

Nixon asks anyone who has been a victim of the scam to contact his office at (800) 392-8222.