Jury Duty Scams In Prince William County Virginia
Scammers are at it again, but with a different approach: tricking you into thinking you were summoned as a juror! Here is the information that you need to protect yourself from experienced family and estate lawyer Michelle Hopkins:
What Does A Official Jury Summons Look Like?
A genuine jury summons arrives in the mail. It is sent in an envelope post marked from Prince William County Circuit Court, and it will include a colored paper juror parking pass. You will receive the summons approximately a month before you are summoned to serve.
The summons is a single sheet of paper, double sided. It directs you to the official Prince William County Circuit Court website. You would be assigned a jury group number, and dates of potential service, on your summons. The summons directs you to check for your jury group number on the circuit court’s website on a certain day after 5:15 p.m. to see if you are to report to the Court house in the morning.
The summons directs you to bring the summons and your parking pass to the Court house on the day you are summoned to serve.
What Are Common Red Flags For Jury Duty Scams?
Here are some common red flags regarding false jury duty summons:
- Fast turn-around time. Jury duty scams often require you to appear very quickly, such as summoning you the day or night before. This ensures that you do not have the ability to call the clerk’s office to confirm, preventing the potential scam victim from avoiding an unnecessary trip to the Court house.
- Phone calls. The Circuit Court Clerk would not call you to summon you. It is very uncommon to receive any official phone calls from the Clerk in reference to your jury summons.
- Emails. Any email claiming to be from the Court should be treated as though it is spam.
- Social media. You will never receive any official Court correspondence via social media.
If you want to be certain that the summons or communication you received was genuine or false, the best step to take is to call the Circuit Court Clerk’s office for confirmation if it truly came from them. Only trust the phone number on the official Court website.
What Are The Most Common Contact Methods For Jury Duty Scams?
Some of the most common ways scammers perpetuate this scam are:
- Text Messages.
- Phone calls.
- Emails.
If you receive only a text message, email, or phone call, directing you to serve as a juror, that is a red flag.
What Should I Do If I Believe My “Summons” Is A Scam?
Call the Prince William County Circuit Court clerk’s office to inquire about the communication you received. Never use a phone number provided to you in a suspicious communication; search for the phone number on the Prince William County Circuit Court’s website to ensure that you are not speaking with a scammer.
If you discover a suspicious communication after Court house hours, check the Prince William County Circuit’s website for the jury group number you were assigned. Locate the circuit court clerk’s phone number and call as soon as they open in the morning.
If you are unsure if the summons was a scam and are unable to verify it due to discovery after the court’s operating hours, the best course of action is to be prepared to be at the Court house in the morning just in case, as failing to appear as a juror can result in legal action.
How Can The Hopkins Law Firm Help Me?
The Hopkins Law Firm lawyers Michelle Hopkins and Sydney Remaily offer family law, estate law and equine law services in Prince William County, Virginia and surrounding areas. Please do not hesitate to contact their office today at 571-248-2210 or info@mhopkinslaw.com to schedule a consultation. Michelle Hopkins and her legal team are waiting to help you!