The Boney Courthouse in Anchorage. Jury duty scams, in which criminals try to get your personal information by saying you missed jury duty or a court appearance, are on the rise.
Jury duty scams are on the rise in Alaska, and it's crucial to know how they work so you can avoid them. One common scam involves an email that claims you missed jury service and includes a calendar to select a week when you'll be available. The email may threaten fines or imprisonment if you don't respond. This email is not from the Alaska Court System or the U.S. District Court...It's from a scammer! Do not click any links in this email.
In another version of this scam, a caller claims to be from a law enforcement agency, like police or state troopers, stating that they have a warrant for your arrest because you missed jury duty or a court appearance. According to the caller, the only way to avoid arrest is to pay a fine. In some cases, they offer to clear up the "misunderstanding" if you will share personal information. This is a scammer trying to get you to give them personal information like your Social Security number or date of birth so they can steal your identity. If you receive a call or email like this, do not click on any links, provide any personal information or make any payments. You can always hang up and contact the real agency at the phone number on their official website.
Scammers often use official-looking letterhead from the Alaska Court System or "spoof" a phone number to make it look like it is coming from the court system. They may also refer to a case number, or pose as a local police officer, trooper, or judge to make the scam more believable.
The Alaska Court System sends jury summons by email, directing you to their jury dashboard. If you don't respond to the email, they will send a summons by mail. The court system will never call, threaten to arrest, or ask for money over the phone. People who fail to show up for jury duty will likely receive a letter reminding them to reschedule. The court system does not collect money for failing to serve as a juror, and police will not be sent to anyone's home to collect unpaid fines or make arrests.
Red flags of a jury duty scam:
-The Alaska Court System will never send an email threatening fines or imprisonment. Those emails are scams.
It's extremely unlikely that anyone from the court system would call a potential juror directly; communication is almost always by email or letter. If you receive a call like this, hang up and do not provide personal information.
-No one gets arrested or is asked to pay when they don't show up for jury duty. These threats are meant to scare you into complying.
-Courts never ask for payment over the phone. No government agency will do that.
-Only scammers insist on payment with gift cards, payment apps (Venmo, Paypal), cryptocurrency (bitcoin), or using wire transfers. The court system will never request payment through these platforms.
-Courts never ask for sensitive information like your Social Security number or birthdate over the phone.
What should you do?
If you receive a suspicious call or email, contact your local police department to confirm it's a scam. If you can identify the caller's phone number or email, provide this information to the police. Remember, no police department will ever call asking for money to drop a warrant. For scams involving federal jury duty, call the U.S. Marshals Service, District of Alaska, at 907-271-5154.
If you or someone you know has been targeted by a scam or fraud, you are not alone. Fraud specialists at the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360) are available from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alaska time and can provide free support and guidance on what to do next. To learn more about fraud, scams, and prevention, visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
Remember: if you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Teresa Holt is the AARP Alaska state director.
