State Rep. John Rigby today warned residents in his district about a scam affecting Connecticut residents, and it’s another example of why people should never give out their personal information to anyone on the telephone. Never. People are now receiving phone calls asking for personal information on the pretext that there has been a problem delivering notices about jury duty. These calls do not come from the Connecticut Judicial Branch.
“This has been an ongoing scam for some time, and we receive reports of these types of calls periodically,” Judge Barbara M. Quinn, chief court administrator, said recently. “If you receive such a call, please do not give out any personal information. These callers are not representatives from the Connecticut Judicial Branch. They are scam artists trying to steal personal information from you.”
The Judicial Branch cannot call you unless you provide your telephone number. If someone claiming to be from a court calls you and you have not given the court your telephone number, the call is not from the Judicial Branch. In addition, the jury office never asks for financial information such as bank accounts or credit card numbers. If individuals receive such a call, they should – under any circumstance — refuse to provide any personal or financial information. In the most recent calls, individuals were asked where they work and for the phone and fax numbers of their employer. Other callers in the past have asked for Social Security numbers, home addresses, credit card numbers and bank account information. Anyone who receives such a call should call their local law enforcement agency and the Judicial Branch’s Jury Administration Office, at 800-842-8175.