The FBI Atlanta Division and its Savannah Resident Agency are warning the public to be on alert for a phone scam wherein the caller impersonates law enforcement or judicial officers and informs the targeted individuals that they have failed to respond to jury duty and are now required to pay associated fines/fees for their failure to appear for those duties.

These scams often involve the "spoofing" of names and telephone numbers of actual law enforcement/judicial officers appearing on the recipient's caller ID. The individual is instructed that they can pay these fines and fees via Green Dot Money Pak cards.

The FBI has received multiple calls from individuals in and around the Savannah area complaining of this type of "jury duty" scam.

The FBI is aware of a variety of such scams ranging from those targeting college students and threatening them with outstanding fees, or IRS based scams threatening the caller with increased fines or even arrest.  These scams, while having been around for several years, have begun to re-emerge with the aspect of "spoofed" telephone numbers of otherwise legitimate law enforcement agencies displayed. 

The public is reminded that law enforcement/judicial officers do not call private citizens requesting money and to never give out unsolicited requests for personal information to callers that you don't know.

Individuals receiving such calls can file a complaint through the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.