PHOENIX — Jury service phone scams are on the rise, officials from the Maricopa County Superior Court said.
The Superior Court Jury Office has reportedly received an increase in calls from county residents over the last couple of months who said they received fraud calls demanding payment for missing jury service.
In many cases, officials said the scammers threatened jail time for not paying fines via a prepaid gift card.
“The scams are very sophisticated and believable. The fraudsters may pose as law enforcement, even going as far as using the identities of actual officers and changing their caller IDs to make the scam more believable,” Jury Administrator Matthew Martin said. “To protect yourself, just remember that the jury office will never call individuals demanding payment for any reason. Fines and fees associated with missing jury service can only be ordered by a judge in court.”
If you become a target of one of these scams, officials recommend writing down the phone number of the caller and calling the police.
As always, don't give the caller any personal information or agree to provide any payment. If you are ever unsure about the situation, you can verify your jury service status by calling the jury office at 602-506-5879.
“If someone were to miss jury service 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,” Martin said.
U.S. residents lost an estimated $1.3 billion last year in similar jury scams, according to FBI data. In these scams, fraudsters pretend to be from the government or “tech support.” Arizona victims lost nearly $325 million in 2023 – one of the top states for losses.
To learn more about jury service and how to respond to a jury summons in Maricopa County, please visit: https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/jury/.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
