Angie Abbott received a call on Monday afternoon about a warrant for her arrest. Terrified she began to think about spending time in jail right before the busy holidays. The caller explains Ms. Abbott had failed to appear for jury duty. The family had recently moved from Taylor County so Abbott was concerned that the notice might have gone to the wrong address.
The man on the phone assured her that a warrant for her arrest had been issued but his company could “fix” the problem. His company charged $39 plus her fine and he could remove the arrest warrant. The caller told her payment arrangements could be made right over the phone with a credit card number, or check by phone; however that would be $12.50 extra. Abbott told the man her sister worked for a Taylor county judge and the crook quickly hung up.
The emails have been circulating around the internet since 2005 warning people about the Jury Duty scam, but the call about an arrest warrant really caught Abbott off guard. The BBB offers these tips about Jury Duty:
• Local courts rarely, if ever, issue arrest warrants for failure to appear for jury duty. Officials of the court would not call asking for payment information.
• Never give personal information, credit card, bank account or social security numbers to anyone who calls you.
• Carefully verify all charges on credit card and bank statements.