SCAM ALERT: Do Not Pay Callers Who Claim You Missed Jury Duty

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The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is writing to you as attorneys of the court’s bar to make you aware of an ongoing jury scam. 

Residents of the district continue to receive fraudulent phone calls claiming that they failed to appear for jury duty in federal court and/or have an arrest warrant or face a similar adverse situation. The scammer tells the victim that he or she can avoid arrest or other negative consequences by making a payment, which may include purchasing a pre-paid card—such as a Green Dot card or gift card—and then giving the card number to the scammer.

The scammer may sound convincing and use real information about the victim; real court addresses; and real names of law enforcement officers, court officials, and federal judges to make the scam appear more credible. Scammers may even “spoof” the phone number on caller ID so that the call falsely appears to be from a court number (such as 404-215-1600) or the number of another government agency.

These phone calls are not from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service, or other law enforcement agencies. No one should provide the scam caller with any personal information, credit card numbers, pre-paid card numbers, cryptocurrency, or other money. Here are the facts:

1. The court will always send a jury summons by U.S. Mail.
2. The court does not ask prospective jurors to sign for their jury summons. Neither the court nor law enforcement will claim that someone signed for a jury summons or request a handwriting analysis.
3. A prospective juror who disregards a jury summons will be contacted through the mail or email by the court clerk’s office and may, in certain circumstances, be ordered to appear before a judge. Such an order will always be in writing and signed by the judge.  
4. A fine will never be imposed until after the individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain his or her circumstances. If a fine is imposed, it will be in open court and reduced to writing.
5. Neither the court nor law enforcement will demand payment over the phone.
6. Neither the court nor law enforcement will demand a gift card number to satisfy an obligation or request payment via Zelle or Venmo.
7. The court does not have a kiosk to accept payments. Neither the court nor law enforcement will instruct someone to make payment at a kiosk.

If you or a client have received a scam phone call and wish to verify whether you or they have been summoned for federal jury duty in the Northern District of Georgia, please contact the jury office at 404-215-1640.