Lubbock County officials released a statement late Friday related to reports of a scam.
People are told they owe a fine for not showing up to serve jury duty. The scam artist agrees to take money in exchange for not going to jail.
The full statement is copied below:
It has come to our attention that individuals are receiving calls from individuals claiming to be from the local courts indicating these individuals have failed to report for jury duty. The scammer tells the person they will have a warrant issued for their arrest if they do not pay a fine immediately.
“About once a year, we will receive calls from the public about this scam, and we hope each year that someone will not fall victim. While the judiciary takes jury service seriously, we will never ask for your credit or debit card information over the phone if you fail to appear for jury service” said Dean Stanzione, Director of Court Administration.
If individuals receive these calls or emails, they should attempt to gather as much information as possible to make a report with the police department. They should try to get the person’s name, the phone number they are calling from and ask for a call back number as that can be different from the number the are calling from.
Citizens are encouraged to contact the District Clerk’s Office Jury Staff at 806.775.1369 or 806.775.1581 if to confirm if they missed jury duty.
