Santa Clara County court warning of increase in jury scams

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Santa Clara County officials are sounding the alarm about a growing scam in the area where residents are being targeted with false claims of missing a court appearance and owing money.

The Santa Clara County Superior Court said on Wednesday these "persuasive" scams involve scammers claiming to be law enforcement or court officials. The court says scammers provide fake badge numbers and use photoshopped images to support the fraud.

"Scammers are adopting sophisticated tactics, presenting themselves as representatives of government agencies and using manipulated images of official locations to deceive unsuspecting individuals," said the Santa Clara County officials.

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In these scams, these "officials" tell the victim that they missed a court appearance and owe money as a repercussion. They may also solicit personal or financial information over the phone, the court said.

However, Santa Clara County officials said that while court personnel could contact you over the phone, they would not ask for sensitive information.

To protect yourself, officials say not to provide personal information over the phone, and when in doubt, to hang up and call the court directly.

Additionally, those who receive a suspected scam call should contact their local police fraud department and the jury office of their local court.