New Jury Service Scam Has Surfaced, Maryland Judiciary Warns

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (November 3, 2016) ─ The Maryland Judiciary is warning the public about a new email scam seeking personal information under the false pretense that the recipient has missed jury service and should click on a link to learn more.  This email is a scam.  Maryland courts do not notify jurors about missed jury service by email. 

This phishing scam has been reported by multiple people in Prince George’s County, but the scam also may be active in other counties.  The email claims to be from the “Clerk to the Court” and says that it is a “final notice” for “failure to appear as scheduled for jury service.”  The email provides a link with the instructions to review the information, “after which you may be contacted and required to appear in court before a judge.”

Anyone receiving this type of email should delete it immediately.  Do not reply and do not click on the link or open any attachments.  Scams such as these often install malware on the recipient’s device and harvest sensitive information, provide remote access to your device for hackers, and send malware links to your email contacts.

As a general reminder, courts do not call or email people to obtain payments or personal information, nor do the courts request credit card or PayPal payments by email or telephone.  If you have any questions about a communication from a court, contact the District Court or Circuit Court in your jurisdiction.  Contact information for each court is available on the Maryland Judiciary’s courts directory.

People affected by this email scam or other scams may also contact the Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, 410-528-8662 or toll free 888-743-0023, as well as local law enforcement.

Other types of court-related scams are detailed in news releases on the Maryland Judiciary’s website:
-New Court Lawsuit Scam Has Surfaced, Maryland Judiciary Warns
-Maryland Judiciary Warns of New Court Case and Warrant Scam 
-Maryland Judiciary Warns of New Jury Duty Scam 
-Public Alert: Beware of “Court” Scams

# # #