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Jury duty scams for money spark police warnings in Bucks County

By FOX 29 Staff
Published  March 11, 2024 10:36am EDT
News
FOX 29 Philadelphia
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BERLIN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 25: Symbol photo on the subject of stalking. On a smartphone, missed calls from an unknown caller are displayed on February 25, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. - The Bucks County Sheriff's Office is asking residents to be vigilant when it comes to unknown callers!

A jury duty scam has sparked recent warnings from local police.

Scammers have reportedly been calling residents requesting money for missing their jury duty.

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Police say they do not make calls about jury duty, and that they "never solicit any form of payment."

The FCC offers these tips to avoid phone scams:

  • Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
  • You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be aware: Caller ID showing a "local" number does not necessarily mean it is a local caller.
  • If you answer the phone and the caller - or a recording - asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
  • Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes."
  • Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
  • If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request.
  • Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
  • If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it.
  • Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls.
  • To block telemarketing calls, register your number on the Do Not Call List. Legitimate telemarketers consult the list to avoid calling both landline and wireless phone numbers on the list.