Court Warns of Sophisticated Jury Scams

Santa Clara County Superior Court said on April 16 that scammers are calling residents, posing as court staff or law enforcement, and trying to collect money or personal information. (santaclara.courts.ca.gov) The court said the callers are using fake badge numbers and manipulated images of government buildings to make the calls look real. Some victims are told they missed a court appearance and now owe penalties. (santaclara.courts.ca.gov) Court staff said official personnel may call by phone, but they will not ask for sensitive personal information during an unsolicited contact. The court told residents to hang up and verify any claim by contacting the court directly. (santaclara.courts.ca.gov) California’s Judicial Branch has issued the same warning statewide: no court official or law enforcement agency will demand bank details, credit card information, gift cards, cryptocurrency, payment-app transfers, or wire payments to resolve jury service. The state court system says those requests are signs of fraud. (courts.ca.gov) The Santa Clara warning lands after similar alerts in California and other states, where scammers exploit the fear of arrest or fines tied to missed jury duty. The Judicial Branch says more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about the scheme. (courts.ca.gov) Santa Clara County officials told anyone who gets one of these calls to contact the fraud unit of their local police department right away. The court also said residents should notify the county’s jury office for guidance. (santaclara.courts.ca.gov) The court’s public advisory included a direct contact for follow-up with the jury office: ssjuryinfo@scscourt.org. Its message was simple: unsolicited demands for money or sensitive data tied to jury duty should be treated as a scam. (santaclara.courts.ca.gov)