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Three people have reported that they received a call from a man falsely identifying himself as “Lt. Steve Smith” with “badge number 8031” from the U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, said the clerk’s office for the U.S. District Court in Connecticut.
The man referred to a case number, that the person had failed to appear for jury selection, and there was a warrant for their arrest, the statement said.
The caller told the people that a bond had been set and the matter would be resolved if they gave him four Green Dot pre-paid $500 VISA cards. In one instance, a victim purchased a Green Dot card and, at the caller’s direction, provided the card’s number to the caller.
The public is advised that this is a scam, and if a person were to receive a jury service-related call they should not provide any personal identification information or money to the caller. Federal and state courts in Connecticut do not call prospective jurors and ask for money or personal identifying information over the telephone. Juror information for the U.S. District Court in Connecticut can be found at www.ctd.uscourts.gov.
Anyone receiving a “Jury Duty Scam” phone call should report it, with any available Caller ID information, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven at 203-777-6311, or 1-800-CALL FBI at 1-800-225-5324.
Daly urged individuals who receive phone calls from suspicious sources never to disclose personal identifying information, as it may be used to cause serious financial harm and jeopardize a person’s credit.
“Identity thieves and scammers defrauding the public will be vigorously prosecuted when identified,” Daly said.
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