The Jury Duty Phone Scam

By Peter L DeHaan

August 13, 2008

When someone uses the phone to commit a crime, everyone in the call center industry is hurt by it.  Essentially, each piece of bad phone news leaves the public more skeptical, less tolerant, and increasingly impatient with all manner of telephone transactions.  The result is decreased sales, lower close rates, increased agent stress, more hang-ups, greater staff turnover, and an escalated proclivity for caller phone rage.

This applies to all centers, be it inbound or outbound, in-house or outsource, on-shore or offshore.  No one is isolated; we all take a hit. 

Less you think I’m over-reacting, take a look at your own personal phone behavior.  Are you now more cautious about giving personal information over the phone than you used to be?  Are you now more likely to be short with a rep or hang-up on a poorly scripted or ill-targeted telemarketing call?  Are you now less tolerant of reps who can’t answer your questions or effectively communicate?  Yes, we’ve all been affected.

The reality is that the media is subtly, but steadily, changing the public’s perception of telephone transactions.  If they’ve affected those of us in the industry, imagine what they’ve done to those outside the industry.

I recently heard about a new twist on an identity theft scam via the telephone.  The FBI calls it the “Jury Duty Scam.”  Here's how it works:

An unsuspecting person receives a phone call from someone claiming to be a “jury coordinator” who threatens that person with fines and arrest for not responding to a jury duty summons.

When the recipients protest that they were never contacted, the scammer asks for their social security number and date of birth in order to verify their identity and cancel the arrest warrant.

Often the caller indicates that a small fine is involved, offering to take care of it over the phone — thereby saving the person a trip to the court house.  Of course, the caller is willing to accept any major credit card.

Once this information is shared, the called person’s identity is stolen and their bank accounts are wiped clean.

The reason this scam is often successful is that the thieves, by claiming to represent the court system, are able to easily intimidate their victims into doing whatever is asked of them to avoid further problems, including bigger fines, being arrested, and possible jail time.

The recommendation, of course, is to never give out any personal information to anyone via an unsolicited phone call or email.

This warning came from my credit union.  I now hold them in higher esteem because they have provided me with valuable and appreciated information.  As call centers we are in a great position to do the same.  We can help educate the public about this small minority who use the telephone for nefarious purposes.  By doing so, we will elevate our call centers – and the industry – earning the esteem of our stakeholders.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Tell your employees so they can protect themselves and tell others.

• Use your client/customer communications as a vehicle to spread the word.

• Add a “fraud alert” section to your website.  This will inform others, plus increase traffic.

By being proactive, we have a chance to garner some positive public attention – and it’s long overdue.