COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court are reminding residents not to fall victim to the jury duty scam.
The scam typically involves a telephone call from someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer or court official. The caller states that a warrant has been issued for your arrest because you have failed to show for jury duty. The only way to avoid arrest and incarceration is to immediately pay a fine by credit card, prepaid debit cards/gift cards, or money transfer.
If you protest that you never received a jury summons, the scammer asks for your social security number and date of birth, claiming to need it to cancel the arrest warrant. However, the personal information that you divulge may be used to commit additional fraud.
Remember, neither law enforcement nor court clerks will ever contact you by telephone or email about missed jury duty or call you to collect payment of a fine by any method including credit card or prepaid debit cards/gift cards. To protect yourself do not reply to the email or voicemail. Unless you have initiated contact, never give out your personal or financial information to anyone.
This scam can take other forms, including impersonating the IRS, your bank, utilities, and many other legitimate organizations. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Collier County Clerk’s Office encourage residents to report this type of activity immediately. For assistance with any suspicious encounter involving a request for money or personal information, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s “Call Before You Pay” hotline – (239) 252-CALL (2255). The hotline is staffed Monday through Friday by a deputy in the Financial Crimes Bureau.
