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ISP issues warning over Jury Duty Scam

Another scam warning has been issued to Michiana residents.

The Indiana State Police said a "jury duty" scam has now been reported in 11 states, and is an attempt by the crooks to steal your identity.

According to the ISP, the scam begins with a telephone call. The caller claims to be the jury coordinator for that particular jurisdiction and tells the victim they failed to appear for jury duty.  When the victim says they were not summoned the caller asks for their social security number and date of birth.  The caller advises they need the social security number and date of birth to cancel the arrest warrant that had been issued for their failure to appear for jury duty.  The information given by the victim is then used to steal the victim's identity. 

This jury duty scam uses intimidation over the telephone by impersonating someone from the court system.  As a reminder you should use extreme caution when giving out personal information over the phone, especially if you did not make the phone call in the first place.

Helpful tips to prevent Identity Theft  

• Release your social security number only when absolutely necessary
• Do not have your social security number printed on your checks
• When you order new checks have them delivered to your bank and not your home
• Order your social security earnings statement once a year to check for fraud
• Cross-cut shred your credit card receipts, bills, and other financial information
• Order your credit report once a year to check for inaccuracies and fraud
• Do not leave envelopes containing bill payments in your mailbox
• Do not carry credit cards, social security cards, birth certificates, and passports in your wallet
• Do not create PIN numbers by utilizing your house address, date of birth, or consecutive numbers