A prank text and email in which the sender tells the recipient he or she has missed jury duty and will be subject to a stiff fine and jail time is making the rounds in Hamilton County. Scams about missed jury duty are nothing new, but this one is particularly troublesome because the perpetrator is claiming Hamilton County Circuit Court Clerk Paula Thompson as the source.
Thompson, who also is the jury coordinator in Hamilton County, said residents are getting calls suggesting they failed to report for jury duty and will be fined several hundred dollars and serve a 30-day prison sentence for failing to appear.
Victims are receiving text or email messages telling them to call a certain number to receive an additional message. The phone numbers are 704-319-7254 and 704-319-7242.
Thompson is urging citizens to not call these numbers. In Hamilton County, residents who fail to report for jury duty can be fined, but the jury coordinator would contact them via mail or the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department would serve them with papers announcing a court date.
The Hamilton County jury department would never text or email residents to say they owe any money and need to serve any time in prison, Thompson said in a news release to local media.
Jim Winsett, president of the local Better Business Bureau, said the scammer is out to steal the identity of the victims. “If contact is made, they will ask for personal information - including date of birth, Social Security number and other data. Do not call the telephone number,” he said.
Source: BBB