The Maryland Judiciary has issued a warning to the public about ongoing "court" scams in the state. Recent reports indicate a telephone jury duty fraud scheme is active in Allegany and Howard County, with similar issues reported elsewhere.
In this scam, callers claim to represent a court and accuse individuals of contempt or fines for missing jury duty. They demand payment over the phone, often using pre-paid cards, and sometimes reference judges by name. The caller threatens that failure to pay will result in an arrest warrant.
"This phone call is a scam," officials state. They advise recipients of such calls to hang up immediately, emphasizing that Maryland courts do not solicit payments over the phone for missed jury duty fines.
Individuals can verify their juror status or report suspicious calls by contacting their Circuit Court jury office. Contact details are available on the Maryland Judiciary website at www.mdcourts.gov under "Locate a Maryland Court."
Additional scams include an email virus masquerading as court case notifications. These emails contain malicious programs activated upon opening attachments or clicking links. Recipients should delete such emails without engaging with them.
A separate juror email scam targets personal information for identity theft purposes across at least 14 federal court districts. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts clarifies that eJuror does not request personal identification via email responses. Federal district court clerks' offices should be contacted if fraudulent communications are suspected.
Further information on these scams can be found on the U.S. Courts web page and related video resources. Federal court contact information is accessible through the U.S. Courts’ court locator.