Fraudsters asking for Bitcoin Payment
PHOENIX (September 25, 2024) – Don’t be a victim of the new juror phone scam.
Earlier this month, a Maricopa County resident was scammed out of $8,000 for thinking he had an arrest warrant for missing jury service. The fraudster, posing as law enforcement, called the victim and promised to quash the warrant if the victim paid $8,000 in Bitcoin. The victim, like many other residents who received similar phone calls, was instructed to use a Coinstar kiosk to convert his cash into Bitcoin. After the conversion and making the payment, the victim realized he was scammed and notified the jury office.
“Jury service phone scams are on the rise,” Jury Administrator Matthew Martin said. “The scams are very sophisticated and believable. To protect yourself, just remember that the jury office will never call individuals demanding payment of any kind for any reason. Fines and fees associated with missing jury service can only be ordered by a judge in court.”
If someone receives a threatening phone call regarding jury service - write down the number, hang up and then call police. The jury office advises to never give the caller any personal information or agree to provide any payment. When in doubt, a person may verify their jury service status by calling the jury office at 602-506-5879.
“If someone were to miss jury service the Court would issue a failure to appear notice through the U.S. Mail, and potential jurors are asked to reschedule jury service for a later date,” Martin said.
According to government data, U.S. residents lost an estimated $2.7 billion in 2023 in scams like this one, with fraudsters pretending to be from the government or “tech support.” In 2023, Arizona was ranked sixth for the worst state for fraud.
Jury Service is a vital component of the American justice system. The United States and Arizona constitutions guarantee the right of trial by jury. Therefore, all Maricopa County residents who are 18 years and older, a U.S. citizen and never been convicted of a felony or have had their civil rights restored are obligated to serve on a jury. Citizens over 75 years of age may be excused from jury service by written request. Also, anyone who appeared for jury service is exempt from serving for 18 months.
To learn more about jury service and how to respond to a jury summons in Maricopa County, please visit: https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/jury/