Jury duty scams are rising in Santa Clara County, and officials are sounding the alarm to protect the public from fraudsters posing as court authorities, according to a press release issued by the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. The court's announcement details the cunning strategies of scammers who impersonate government officials and use doctored images to trick victims into believing they have missed jury service and owe fines.

In these deceptive schemes, the perpetrators, presenting themselves as officers of the court or law enforcement agents, claim to have official badges and create fake visuals to enhance their ruse and often convince the targets that their compliance is non-negotiable. This has led to a disturbing trend of individuals being duped into revealing personal information and handing over money. "Official court personnel will never request sensitive information in this manner," the Santa Clara County Superior Court warns in its urgent advisory.

Scam-awareness tips have been provided, which include email contacts like [email protected] for reporting to the jury office and recommending contacting the local police department's fraud unit immediately upon receiving a suspicious request. The court also reinforced that while court staff may legitimately call individuals, they will never ask for confidential personal or financial information over the phone.

As the ruse persists, the Santa Clara County Superior Court continues to partner with the judiciary to inform the public about the risk, urging them to share this alert with friends and family, so they shall not fall prey to similar cons. The court also emphasizes that any unsuspected request for private details should be a red flag for individuals, prompting them to verify the legitimacy of such communications by directly contacting the court.