The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County is warning residents of an ongoing nationwide jury scam that’s defrauding people of thousands of dollars across the country and in Arizona, affecting jurors in Maricopa County.
Scammers place calls or send emails representing themselves as law enforcement and threaten fines, fees and jail time for individuals who missed jury service. They may also give people a fake law enforcement badge number and case number. Their motive is to create a sense of urgency and panic, pressuring people to respond quickly and provide personal information and money.
“The scammers typically demand payment via prepaid debit card or even via Bitcoin for missing jury duty,” said Tiana Burdick, Interim Jury Administrator for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County. “These scams have been happening for years; however, they are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated. The fraudsters are using real law enforcement identities and badge numbers. They also manipulate the caller ID to reflect an actual law enforcement agency.”
How to Identify Scams:
- Courts do not ask for immediate payment over the phone or via email.
- Only scammers will insist you can only pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer service.
- Courts do not ask for sensitive personal information over the phone, like your Social Security number.
Individuals who receive calls like this are encouraged to hang up immediately or not respond. Instead, write down the phone number and contact law enforcement or the jury office immediately. The jury office asks anyone who has questions about their jury status to call the office at (602) 506-5879. They should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Valid Missed Jury Duty Service Notifications:
- 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.
- Any jury service-related fines would be levied by a judge in a courtroom.
- The court would reach out via email and/or text asking potential jurors to call (602) 506-5879 to schedule a new date.
According to the FTC, Arizona ranked as the fourth worst state for imposter scams in 2024, losing an estimated $766 million to fraudulent phone calls and payment apps, while U.S. residents lost an estimated $2.95 billion.
Jury Service is a vital component of the American justice system. The United States Constitution and the Arizona Constitution guarantee the right to trial by jury. All Maricopa County residents who are 18 years and older, a U.S. citizen and have never been convicted of a felony or have had their civil rights restored are obligated to participate in the jury service process. 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/.