WARNING: Jury Phone Scam
In various parts of the United States, citizens are being targeted by phone calls and threatened with prosecution for failing to comply with jury service in federal or state courts.
In the calls, the threat of a fine for shirking jury service is used to coerce those called into providing confidential data, potentially leading to identity theft and fraud. These calls are not from real court officials.
Federal courts do not require anyone to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call. Most contact between a federal court and a prospective juror will be through the U.S. Mail, and any phone contact by real court officials will not include requests for social security numbers, credit card numbers, or any other sensitive information.
Jury duty is a vital civic responsibility and should be taken seriously by all citizens. However, it is a crime for anyone to falsely represent himself or herself as a federal court official. The federal judiciary takes seriously such an offense.
Persons receiving such a telephone call should not provide the requested information. If you have questions regarding jury duty or the jury process, please call our Jury Office at (618) 482-9160.
WARNING: Scam Jury Duty Emails
Scammers are using the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois name to trick people into clicking a potentially harmful internet link.
The Clerk's Office has been alerted that individuals in this area and in other states have received emails informing them that they had been summonsed for federal jury service. The email urges recipients to click a link.
Federal courts do not issue jury summons via email. Anyone receiving a legitimate jury summons will receive that information via physical mail. Do not click any link included in an email from an unknown sender.