Residents warned of jury duty phone scam

A new phone scam has hit states across the country and its effectiveness is in its simplicity. It's a scam that could fool anyone. No Nigerian princes or closing costs to pay on your miracle inheritance, just a call any of us could get: jury duty.

People are receiving calls saying they have missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for their arrest. In order to clear it up, the scammer asks for personal information to process.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is aware of these scams and has been investigating what they call a recent resurgence in these jury-related scams. Federal officials say, as a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.

Germantown Police Chief Peter Hoell says no such scams have been reported in Germantown, but suggested people in the area call police if they're contacted with such a scam.

"They should call the court of their jurisdiction," Hoell suggests, adding that asking the caller for a name and number to call back could just send a potential victim to a second person involved in the scam.

"Legitimate people aren't going to ask for your personal information over the phone, period."

Hoell says that's advice every person should take, regardless of the story you hear from a would-be con artist.

"There will be a new (scam) tomorrow," Hoell says. "But if you just maintain that never giving your information out, you can protect yourself against whatever scam."