From Wilson County Sheriff’s Office
Jury Duty Scams are on the rise and claiming more victims. We have had several incidents reported in the last 24 hours of scammers trying to solicit money involving the Jury Duty Scam.
Please read the below information, share (especially to the elderly who may not have a social media account), and don’t become a victim. While scammers can very easily use the names of one of our deputies when calling, it’s important to authenticate the information by calling our office directly at 615-444-1412 ext. 0 if you feel like you are being scammed.
The verdict on this familiar and widespread problem: Hang up without providing any information about yourself. Here’s why:
Authentic jury duty notifications, as well as “no show” summonses, are nearly always delivered by mail. In rare instances prospective jurors may be telephoned by legitimate courthouse employees, but only after a jury duty summons was mailed but returned to sender because it couldn’t be delivered — and you won’t be asked for personal information such as your Social Security number, birth date or driver’s license number.
These fake phone calls often come in the evening, after the courthouse has closed and its employees have left. Gleaning targets’ names and addresses from phone directories or other public records, scammers often call after usual working hours because they know they have a better chance of reaching their intended victims.
Caller ID can be manipulated to display the name and phone number of any agency or business, so don’t be fooled. If you have concerns, look up the courthouse phone number (don’t rely on caller-provided numbers) and verify missed jury allegations with the jury duty coordinator or court clerk’s office.
