Scammer targeting residents with false “missed jury duty” summons notifications.
Recently the Ventura County Sheriff's Office has been alerted by several Ventura County residents who advised they were contacted by a male subject claiming to be with the sheriff’s office. This caller claimed they had a missed, overdue jury duty summons. When they called jury services to verify this information, they learned there were no overdue summons for them. At this time, we are unaware of any monetary demands made by this caller regarding these false claims.
The sheriff’s office would like to remind people that scams of this nature occur on a regular basis. One should not immediately respond to any demands from those purporting to be a government representative without verifying with the proper agency the legitimacy of both the individual and their requests. The sheriff’s office does not contact people, over the phone, with requests for any payment of fines, fees, or penalties. It should also be noted that the Ventura County Superior Court makes missed jury duty notifications by mail, not by phone.
If you have suffered a financial loss due to a scam, contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at (805) 654-9511 to file a report. You can also file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.ic3.gov. |
