Jury Duty Scam Resurfaces in Connecticut

If you receive a phone call from a man claiming to be "Lt. Steve Smith” with badge number 8031 from the U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, someone is attempting to scam you. 

Three people recently reported receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be Smith. The man would then refer to a case number, say the person failed to appear for jury selection, and because of this, there was a warrant for their arrest, Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said.

Then, the caller told people that a bond had been set and the matter would be resolved if they gave him four Green Dot pre-paid $500 VISA cards. Green Dot cards are pre-paid Visa or MasterCard debit cards.

Daly said one of the people called bought a card and at the caller’s direction, provided the card’s number to the caller.

Federal and state courts in Connecticut do not call prospective jurors and ask for money or personal identifying information over the telephone, Daly said. Juror information can be found on the U.S. District Court in Connecticut website.

If you receive phone calls from suspicious sources, never disclose personal identifying information, as it may be used to cause serious financial harm and jeopardize a person’s credit, she added.

If You Receive a Jury Duty Scam Call

Report it, along with any available Caller ID information, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven at 203-777-6311, or 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324), Daly said.