Township of Upper St. Clair Police

Identity and Credit Card Theft Prevention

Jury Duty Scam

The Police Department would like to share with you the latest scam that is spreading quickly.

Most citizens take a summons for jury duty seriously. A new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced where the caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your social security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant.

Give out any of this information and your identity was just stolen. This fraud has been reported so far in Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Hampshire.

This scam is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

Carry only essential identification. Carry your Social Security card, birth certificate or passport only when you know you'll need them. Reduce your credit card accounts to a minimum.
Do not leave your purse, wallet or cards on store counters, stay alert to surroundings. Always take receipts with you.
Cut up, shred or otherwise destroy pre-approved credit offers, credit card statements, banking records and other documents with personal information before placing them in the trash or recycling. There are "Dumpster Divers."
Do not keep ATM or personal identification numbers (PIN) or other passwords in your purse or wallet. Memorize them.
Keep a list or photocopy of all your credit accounts and bank statements in a secure place, such as a lock box or locked file cabinet. Include account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of customer service and fraud departments.
Avoid giving out your credit card or personal information over the phone or the Internet, unless you are certain of the caller's identity. If possible, only give out when you have initiated the contact.
Do not have your Social Security, driver's license or phone numbers printed on your checks.
If your personal identification, drivers license, credit card, check, etc. has been stolen make a police report and notify the lending institution immediately.
Order a credit report annually. Make sure the information is accurate and there are no discrepancies or unusual accounts.
1. EQUIFAX (1-800-525-6258) www.equifax.com
2. EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742) www.experian.com
3. TRANS UNION (1-800-680-7289) www.tuc.com
4. Consumer Assistance in Pittsburgh 1-800-727-2893
5. Federal Trade Commission web site: www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Department of

Police Protection

Department of

Police Protection

Identity and Credit Card Theft Prevention

Jury Duty Scam