Not Another Scam!

Here's some old news for ya, just in case you ain't heard it. I got this in my inbox today, and since I'm braindead for a post, here it is.

Supposedly, this jury scam has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below), and is not a new thing. Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book.

I know that most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator.. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Arrest warrant? Yep, this could catch you off guard and before you know out give out that information. But be warned... giving out personal information could result in identity fraud.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

and here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

I personally am very skeptical of giving out any information on the phone or online but it could happen if caught off guard.

Pass this info on and take precautions so you don't fall victim.