GREENSBORO, N.C. — It starts with a phone call and then you hear words like, 'I'm calling to inform you that you missed jury duty'. But it doesn't stop there. The next line is usually, 'You have to pay a fine or they are going to come to arrest you'.
People all over Guilford County, our state, and the nation are getting this scam call. Here are the facts from the North Carolina Judicial Branch website:
You cannot be fined or arrested by phone for missing jury duty service.
It's a scam if payment by phone is demanded or offered to avoid arrest.
The fact is, the court or law enforcement officials do not make phone calls requesting or offering payments by phone to avoid arrest. This kind of scam call has cost folks in North Carolina thousands of dollars.
In reality, per North Carolina statute the penalty for disobeying a jury summons is currently $50 and if you're getting fined, you'll get the alert by mail delivered to your home. It will never come in the form of a phone call, email, or text.
So, what should you do if you get one of these calls? Hang up the phone. Really.
If you're worried about it possibly being true, you can contact your local clerk of court's office to verify if you have been summoned for jury service.
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