Mecklenburg County officials have issued a warning to residents about a jury service scam that has led to multiple daily reports of suspicious calls, texts, and emails. The Trial Court Administrator’s Office (TCA) at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse said scammers are contacting people with false claims about failing to appear for jury duty and threatening them with large fines or arrest warrants.
Authorities urge residents not to respond to these messages or provide any personal information or payment. In North Carolina, all official jury summonses and failure-to-appear notices are sent by first class mail to a resident’s home or post office box. Court officials and law enforcement officers do not call individuals to threaten arrest or warn of impending arrest for missing jury service or other infractions.
Scammers often contact residents at night when courthouse offices are closed, which officials say is a red flag. They may also manipulate caller ID information to make their numbers appear local or legitimate. Requests for payments can reach hundreds or thousands of dollars, but the actual penalty for missing jury duty is $50 per incident.
“We want our residents to be aware so if they get one of these suspicious and threatening calls, they know it’s a scam,” said Sonya L. Harper, director of Mecklenburg County Criminal Justices Services. “While many people have heard of these scams and know to avoid them, some residents fall victim to the calls, texts and emails.”
Officials note that senior citizens are often targeted by these scams but anyone can be affected. Scammers frequently ask for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
Residents who wish to confirm their jury service status can contact the Trial Court Administrator’s Jury Management Office by phone at 877-649-7133 or email at [email protected].
“Jury scams happen throughout the year,” said Casey Calloway, Trial Court administrator for the N.C. 26th Judicial District. “But this most recent spike seems to indicate that the scammers are paying attention to high profile court cases and mentioning them to give the appearance of added credibility.”
Jury service is considered an important civic responsibility in the United States and any eligible resident may be called upon to serve as part of the justice system.
Recent data shows that enrollment in Mecklenburg County schools dropped by 0.4% during the 2022-23 school year compared with the previous year (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). During this period, there were 153,537 students enrolled in county schools (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
For more information on how jury service works in Mecklenburg County and how residents can protect themselves from scams, resources are available through N.C. Courts.
