By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Answering the call for jury service has long been viewed as a foundational civic duty and a cornerstone of the American justice system.
In recent months, scam artists have put an illegal twist on that citizenship responsibility by concocting various schemes designed to intimidate victims into paying a hefty sum for the bogus claim of failing to appear for jury service in federal court.
In an attempt to debunk the ongoing scam, officials with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan have responded by issuing a press release (reprinted below) outlining the scope of the problem and ways to avoid it.
Judge Brandy McMillion, the chair of the court’s Security Committee, told The Legal News on May 5 that many of the victims are among the most vulnerable in the community.
“Unfortunately, these scam artists prey on the elderly, although they will victimize anyone who falls into their traps,” said Judge McMillion. “We want everyone to know that the court and the U.S. Marshals Service are not connected to these calls, texts, and emails demanding payment. Hopefully we can raise public awareness about this continuing scam.”
District Court Executive Kinikia Essix issued the following press release in addressing the matter.
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The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is alerting the public of an ongoing scam where people have received phone calls, texts, and/or emails from individuals who are fraudulently claiming to represent the Sheriff’s Office or the U.S. Marshals Service and falsely stating that a warrant has been issued by Chief Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III for failing to appear for jury service in federal court.
These scams are designed to intimidate victims by threatening arrest or legal action unless immediate payment is made or personal information is provided.
These phone calls, texts, and emails are NOT connected with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. Marshals Service, or other law enforcement agencies.
The Court urges the public to remain cautious, as the scammer may sound convincing and use real information about the victim; real court addresses; and real names of law enforcement officers, court officials, or federal judges to make the scam appear more credible. Scammers may even “spoof” the phone number on caller ID so that the call falsely appears to be from a court number or the number of another government agency.
Members of the public are warned about any request to provide confidential or financial information by sending payment, which may include credit card, debit card, pre-paid gift card, ACH transfer, Venmo, PayPal, or cryptocurrency in response to calls, texts and/or emails.
If you receive a suspicious call:
• Hang up immediately if you suspect the call is a scam;
• Do NOT provide any money, gift cards, or other things of value;
• Do NOT provide any personal information, including Social Security numbers, credit card or bank account numbers.
If you have questions, please contact the Jury Department at (313) 234-5085.
Legal News
Answering the call for jury service has long been viewed as a foundational civic duty and a cornerstone of the American justice system.
In recent months, scam artists have put an illegal twist on that citizenship responsibility by concocting various schemes designed to intimidate victims into paying a hefty sum for the bogus claim of failing to appear for jury service in federal court.
In an attempt to debunk the ongoing scam, officials with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan have responded by issuing a press release (reprinted below) outlining the scope of the problem and ways to avoid it.
Judge Brandy McMillion, the chair of the court’s Security Committee, told The Legal News on May 5 that many of the victims are among the most vulnerable in the community.
“Unfortunately, these scam artists prey on the elderly, although they will victimize anyone who falls into their traps,” said Judge McMillion. “We want everyone to know that the court and the U.S. Marshals Service are not connected to these calls, texts, and emails demanding payment. Hopefully we can raise public awareness about this continuing scam.”
District Court Executive Kinikia Essix issued the following press release in addressing the matter.
—————
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is alerting the public of an ongoing scam where people have received phone calls, texts, and/or emails from individuals who are fraudulently claiming to represent the Sheriff’s Office or the U.S. Marshals Service and falsely stating that a warrant has been issued by Chief Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III for failing to appear for jury service in federal court.
These scams are designed to intimidate victims by threatening arrest or legal action unless immediate payment is made or personal information is provided.
These phone calls, texts, and emails are NOT connected with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. Marshals Service, or other law enforcement agencies.
The Court urges the public to remain cautious, as the scammer may sound convincing and use real information about the victim; real court addresses; and real names of law enforcement officers, court officials, or federal judges to make the scam appear more credible. Scammers may even “spoof” the phone number on caller ID so that the call falsely appears to be from a court number or the number of another government agency.
Members of the public are warned about any request to provide confidential or financial information by sending payment, which may include credit card, debit card, pre-paid gift card, ACH transfer, Venmo, PayPal, or cryptocurrency in response to calls, texts and/or emails.
If you receive a suspicious call:
• Hang up immediately if you suspect the call is a scam;
• Do NOT provide any money, gift cards, or other things of value;
• Do NOT provide any personal information, including Social Security numbers, credit card or bank account numbers.
If you have questions, please contact the Jury Department at (313) 234-5085.
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