Sheriff Warns of Active Jury Duty Scam

HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ - Hunterdon County Sheriff Fred Brown is warning residents about an active scam regarding jury summonses.

According to Brown, the scam begins with a caller posing as an official local law enforcement officer, and using the names of actual officers, before asserting that the homeowner is being charged for failing to report for jury duty.

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Then, Brown said, the scammers aggressively request a fine be paid with either a credit card or the purchase of a gift card to avoid being arrested.

"We appreciate Sheriff Brown taking the time to update the board about this recent scam and how Hunterdon County and the judiciary are taking the necessary steps to alert people about it," commissioner John Lanza said. "It is a good reminder that the best way to avoid becoming a victim to scams like this is to never, under any circumstances give out personal information over the phone or on the Internet."

Brown said residents being contacted for jury duty would never be called in person and would not be threatened with arrest. In addition, an official sheriff's officer would never ask for personal information or a credit card.

Brown said residents should never provide a social security number, bank number or credit card number without verifying that the person and organization asking for the information is legitimate.

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Anyone who receives a call about missed jury duty should contact the Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office at 908-788-1166.

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