Two people called the Chief Court Administrator’s Office this week to report incidents where a caller sought personal information from them, claiming that there was a delivery problem with jury notices. These calls did not come from the Connecticut Judicial Branch.

“This has been an ongoing scam for some time, and we receive reports of these types of calls periodically,” Judge Barbara M. Quinn, chief court administrator, said. “If you receive such a call, please do not give out any personal information. These callers are not representatives from the Connecticut Judicial Branch. They are scam artists trying to steal personal information from you.”

You will not receive a phone call from the Judicial Branch unless:

• You have first contacted the Jury Administration by telephone, U.S. mail or e-mail and have given us permission to call;
• You have been selected for a trial and the court needs to notify you of scheduling information pertaining to a case.

The Judicial Branch cannot call you unless you provide your telephone number. If someone claiming to be from a court calls you and you have not given the court your telephone number, the call is not from the Judicial Branch.

In addition, the jury office never asks for financial information such as bank accounts or credit card numbers. If individuals receive such a call, they should – under any circumstance -- refuse to provide any personal or financial information.

In the most recent calls, individuals were asked where they work and for the phone and fax numbers of their employer. Other callers in the past have asked for Social Security numbers, home addresses, credit card numbers and bank account information.

Anyone who receives such a call should call their local law enforcement agency and the Judicial Branch’s Jury Administration Office, at 800-842-8175.