Jury Duty Scam Alert for Mecklenburg County Residents
Mecklenburg County has a warning for residents about a scam involving jury service.
Some residents have received scam phone calls from someone posing as law enforcement. The caller informs the resident that they have failed to respond to a jury summons, an order has been issued for their arrest, and that they need to pay a large fee using gift cards to avoid arrest or jail time. This is a scam.
Scammers are very convincing and often have the resident’s name and address, use the name of a real judge and/or law enforcement officers, and refer to local locations to make the call seem legitimate. They may have even faked the phone number of the courthouse or Sheriff’s Office.
“We want to make sure our residents are aware so they can protect themselves,” said Sonya Harper, Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services director. “It’s disheartening that some individuals are choosing to manipulate such an important civic duty.”
In North Carolina, jury summonses are issued by U.S. mail. If you fail to appear for jury service, you cannot be fined by telephone or email. Any phone call stating that a warrant has been issued for your arrest due to not reporting for jury service is a scam. Court staff and/or the Sheriff's Office do not call or email citizens requesting Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, money, pre–paid debit card numbers, payments by money grams, or any other sensitive financial information.
If you receive such a call, HANG UP without providing any information about yourself or taking any action. You can confirm if you have been selected for jury service or failed to appear by contacting the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Court.
Report any suspicious calls or emails to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
Victims may also report them to the N.C. Attorney General's Office or call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.