Alameda County Superior Court Issues Alert for Jury Duty Scam

The Alameda County Superior Court has issued an alert to inform residents of Alameda County of a jury duty scam that has been reported nationwide and to provide guidance as to how to proceed if you think you are being targeted.

What’s happening:

Citizens are being contacted via phone by a man that identifies himself as a Lieutenant or Sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office, Police Department, or Constable’s Office. 

The caller informs the citizen that they failed to report for jury duty and that a fine has been assessed against them. The fine usually ranges from $2,000 to $4,000. 

The caller also advises the citizen there is a warrant for their arrest and that they must report to court; the caller usually tells the citizen to report to a judge at a specific court location. 

The citizen is also instructed to go to a local cash advance, convenience, or grocery store to obtain a form of money card which is a pre-paid reloadable debit card. 

The scam artists are using disposable cell phones, so they have no problem giving the citizen a phone number to call them back. Once the citizen gets the money card, they are instructed to give the money card information over the phone, which the caller claims will satisfy the fine and result in the warrant being dismissed. 

This allows the scam artist to get the money without the need for any actual face-to-face contact. The scam artists sound very convincing over the phone, and have been known to threaten the citizen with jail and fines in order to get them to comply.

What you should know:

The Jury Services unit of the Superior Court of Alameda County does not contact citizens by phone regarding the payment of fines for failing to appear for jury service. Rather, the Court typically sends a Failure to Appear notice before taking any action. If a warrant is issued for your arrest as a result of your failure to appear for jury duty, there is no warning phone call. Further, California law does not permit citizens to pay a fine in lieu of jury service; a fine may be assessed, but the citizen would still be required to reschedule jury service for a later date.

What you should do if you feel you are being targeted for this scam:

Write down the phone number the person is calling from. Do not give the caller any personal information about yourself. Contact your local police department and request to file a complaint.