Telephone scam uses jury duty to coerce victims

If you get a call saying you missed jury duty and are required to pay a fine to avoid getting thrown in jail, you might want to hang up the phone.

Chattanooga residents are being targeted by telephone in a new scam, according to a release from the Department of Justice.

Scammers claim to be representing the U.S. Marshal Service and demand the victim pay a fine in order to avoid being arrested for missing federal jury duty.

“Often, to make the scheme believable, victims are provided with factual information such as the title and badge number of a law enforcement officer or court official, the name of a federal judge, and the courthouse address,” the release said.

Scammers can also mask their phone number on caller ID, making it seem as if the call is coming from a government agency in a tactic called “spoofing” that has become common nationwide.

They have also been known to attempt the scam over email.

The U.S. Marshal Service does not call or email prospective jurors for money or personal information and will never serve an arrest warrant by phone, according to the release.

Valid warrants are always served in person and marshals do not demand money in order to avoid arrest.

Anyone who has received such a call or email is encouraged to contact the Marshal’s Service at 423-752-5115 or the FBI online at tips.fbi. gov.

If possible, report the caller ID or email address used to contact you.