Elkhart County warning residents of jury fraud scam going around county
ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- The Elkhart County Administration Office is warning county residents to be wary of a jury fraud scam that has been going around recently.
The scam involves a caller posing as a court, government, or law enforcement official and claiming that the unsuspecting resident, or potential jury member, has a warrant or body attachment for their arrest for failing to appear for jury duty.
The scammer will indicate that the potential victim can avoid arrest by paying a fine or a cash bond, but that is not the case.
Message from Elkhart County:
"The scammer oftentimes provides information that seems very convincing, including the real names of judges, court and law enforcement officials, or other government employees. The caller then informs the potential victim that they can avoid arrest by paying an immediate fine or cash bond and then walks them through making an electronic payment to satisfy the fraudulent financial obligation.
In Elkhart County, all legitimate contact with prospective jurors occurs in writing, beginning with a postcard requesting certain information to determine eligibility for jury service.
Personal information, such as bank or credit card numbers is never requested. Additionally, no employees of the Elkhart County Courts or any other Elkhart County office will call residents to advise them that they failed to report for jury duty and that they can pay a fine over the telephone.
The Elkhart County Jury Management Office may send an official notice for failure to appear through the jury portal, and the notice provides instructions on what actions those who have failed to appear for jury duty must take. Any Elkhart County resident who receives a call demanding payment over the phone for failing to report for jury duty should not provide any payment in this situation.
Anyone who receives a fraudulent call should gather as much information as possible and report it to local law enforcement."
If anyone has questions about jury duty service, including questions regarding the legitimacy of any unsolicited contact, they should call the Elkhart County Jury Management Office at 574-523-2347.