Fake jury summons is part of identity theft scam

Another one of those mass e-mails is going around and this time the warning is legit.

It says con artists, pretending to be court officials, are calling people and threatening them with arrest because they didn't show up for jury duty.

If you say you never received a jury summons, the scammer will ask for your Social Security Number and date of birth, in order to "verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant."

According to Snopes.com, the web site that tracks urban legends, this scam is effective because "the victim is clearly caught off guard, and is understandably upset at the prospect of a warrant being issued for his or her arrest."

Snopes says 10 states, including Washington, have reported this scam.

We found a warning about this jury scam posted on the Seattle Municipal Court Web site. It says the court will never ask jurors for their Social Security Number over the phone.

The bottom line: it doesn't matter who the caller claims to be or what story they give you - don't give out your Social Security Number over the phone.

For More Information:

Fraudsters dupe unwary by telling them they've failed to report for jury duty?