Beware of phone scam regarding jury service

According to the Idaho Supreme Court, scammers are impersonating law enforcement to obtain private information.

The Idaho courts have recently received multiple reports of a phone scam being attempted in Idaho. Citizens are targeted with calls threatening them with prosecution for failing to report for jury service. The callers are using the names of actual Idaho judges, sheriffs, and prosecutors in an effort to appear realistic. Recipients may be told they are subject to a fine or jail time. They may be pressured to provide personal information such as Social Security numbers and/or credit card information to avoid the threatened actions.

These calls are a scam and could result in identity theft. The Idaho courts do not require anyone to provide sensitive information in a telephone call, nor will a sheriff contact you about an arrest warrant over the phone. Persons receiving such a phone call should decline to provide any information to the caller. Please report any suspicious calls to your local law enforcement or sheriff’s office.

Anyone wishing to verify whether the Idaho courts are trying to contact them may call their local court clerk’s office.