Riverside Superior Court warns residents about jury duty scam
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — (KESQ) — Riverside County residents are being warned about a jury duty scam in which callers falsely claim that people have missed jury service and now have an outstanding warrant.
The Superior Court of California, County of Riverside issued the warning, urging residents to be cautious of calls and text messages that threaten arrest, claim a warrant has been issued, demand immediate action or request personal or financial information.
According to the court, scammers may attempt to create a sense of urgency by telling residents they failed to appear for jury duty and must immediately pay money or take other steps to avoid arrest.
Riverside Superior Court said it will not call or text residents to threaten them with arrest, pressure them to immediately report to a courthouse, request personal or financial information, or demand payment.
Residents who receive a suspicious jury-related call or message are advised to:
Do not provide personal, financial or identifying information. Do not make a payment or follow payment instructions provided by the caller. Do not assume a call is legitimate simply because the caller knows personal information about you. Do not click links included in suspicious text messages or other communications. Contact the court directly through official court contact information to verify questions about jury service. Report suspicious or threatening communications to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The court also noted that jurors will not receive text-message notifications about jury service unless they have opted in to receive them.
Residents who have received an actual jury summons can use Riverside Superior Court’s official Jury Services page to check information about their service. The court’s jury services system allows prospective jurors to check their status, request postponements and access reporting instructions.
The court currently provides several ways to check jury status, including its juror web portal, automated telephone systems and an SMS option for jurors using their badge number. Residents should use contact information obtained directly from the court rather than numbers or links supplied by an unsolicited caller or text message.
The Judicial Council of California also maintains information about jury-related scams and encourages the public to be aware of fraudulent requests for money or personal information.
Riverside Superior Court is encouraging residents to share the warning with family members, friends and others in their communities to help prevent additional victims of jury-duty scams.
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