According to authorities, a growing number of individuals have fallen victim to a scam involving jury duty that has been reported across the nation.

In an attempt to protect individuals from becoming victims of fraudulent activities, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg released a public advisory on Monday. The warning aims to prevent further individuals from being “tricked” by such scams.

According to their statement, individuals are being targeted by scammers who impersonate U.S. marshals or other government officials. These scammers threaten to arrest the person for failing to appear for jury duty unless they pay a penalty.

Handberg relayed that if an individual receives a call where they are being threatened to pay in order to avoid being arrested for not showing up for federal jury duty, they are being targeted by a scam.

According to Handberg, the scammers are skilled at persuading their targets. They have even been known to provide personal information such as the victim’s address, date of birth, and the names of federal judges and their corresponding case numbers.

The proper protocol for notifying potential jurors is that individuals who are chosen for jury duty can expect to receive a summons through the mail. Officials emphasize that the court will never request banking information via phone.

If an individual fails to attend jury duty despite receiving a valid summons, they may be required to appear before a judge. However, the judge’s instructions would be documented and signed.

According to the joint statement from Corrigan and Handberg, a penalty will not be enforced until a person has made an appearance in court and has been provided with the chance to clarify their absence.

If individuals suspect that they have fallen victim to the jury duty scam, they should promptly report the occurrence to both the Federal Trade Commission and their nearby FBI field office.