Court System Warning Public About Jury Pranks

| 8/10/2012

The North Dakota Court System is warning people about a prank that involves jury duty. A person receives a call, e-mail or text saying that the person has failed to report for jury duty and they could be fined $500 or sentenced to 30 days in prison. The victim is given a number to call, when they call it they are told they have to pay or go to jail.

It is only at the end of the call that they are told it`s a prank.

The prank is pulled through a commercial website whose sole purpose is to provide the capability to pull these pranks on friends, family or innocent victims. There have been two reports in the last month.

Although this prank is harmless, there are jury duty scams out there that are intended to steal your identity or money.

The court system says that people should keep in mind that if they are contacted by a court official regarding jury duty it will be for the purpose of asking them to report to the local courthouse at a specific date and time, or in response to a phone call or letter they have received from them asking for information. Court officials will always identify themselves by name and location and they will never ask for personal information or request payment of a fine for failure to appear.

Anyone who receives a bogus phone call or jury summons should immediately contact their local Clerk of Court and police department.

COMMENT ON THIS STORY