Minnesota chief justice urges Minnesotans to beware jury duty scam calls

GRAND FORKS — Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea urges Minnesotans to beware of jury duty scam calls.

According to a press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, district courts and counties reported Minnesotans have been receiving scam calls regarding jury duty.

“Jury duty is an important civic duty,” Gildea said. “I commend citizens who report for jury service and urge Minnesotans to learn about and protect themselves from the potentially devastating consequences of these scams.”

Scams related to jury duty can take many forms, the release said. Recently, scammers have been making phone calls and pretending to be from Minnesota courts.

Sometimes, callers “spoof” the court telephone number, so the call appears to be coming from a court or law enforcement agency.

In the calls, people are told they have to pay a fine for missing jury duty.

“The scammer might ask for a credit card number or suggest some other way to pay the fine and avoid jail time,” the release said.

Scammers may demand payment or private information — such as Social Security numbers — that can be used for the purpose of identity theft.

Gildea reminds Minnesotans “that if they are summoned for state jury duty, initial contact will always be made by U.S. Mail in the form of a juror summons from a Minnesota district court.”

Minnesota courts will never call or email regarding payment of fines or any sensitive information as a result of missed jury duty, the release said.

Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call similar to the reported scam calls should contact their local county sheriff’s office.

Anyone with questions about jury duty should also contact their sheriff’s office or local district court.