Canyon County officials report that a scammer telling people they need to pay a fee or will be arrested for missing jury duty is now using a new ploy -– posing as an actual County employee.
“The scammer is now apparently using the names of current Canyon County employees as part of the scam. These are names of department supervisors and administrators that can easily be found on the county website,” said Canyon County spokesman Joe Decker
“We want to reiterate that no county office, department, or employee would ever call a juror and demand personal information. Nor would a county employee ever ask someone for a payment for noncompliance with jury service,” Decker added.
Anyone who receives such a call and wishes to learn if they have been called for jury service, should call the Jury Office at (208) 454-7351.
In addition, the Better Business Bureau offers the following tips on what to do if a scammer calls:
• Hang up – don’t press any buttons and, if you received a voicemail, don’t call the scammer back. We all like to have the last word, but returning the phone call may just give the scammer information they can use.
• Don’t trust caller ID – scammers have technology that lets them display any number or organization name on your screen.
• Never give out any financial information – if you did not initiate the call, do not provide bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers over the phone unless you have thoroughly done your research and verified the caller.
