By Staff
NILES - Presiding Jury Judge Lynda A. Tolen is advising Berrien County residents and prospective jurors to be on the alert for juror identity thieves.
The local court has learned the U.S. District Court Eastern District Chief Judge Bernard Friedman issued a warning last Thursday to Michigan residents to be aware that identity scammers have recently surfaced in Detroit and Traverse City.
According to information received from the U.S. Attorney's Office, identity thieves posing as court workers have been calling people in seven states, including Michigan.
The phone scammers have been "informing" these citizens that they failed to report for jury duty, that a warrant has been issued for their arrest, and then requesting Social Security numbers and other personal identification information.
Berrien County residents should be aware that the Berrien County Trial Court does not and would not seek this type of personal identification information over the telephone.
If you receive a suspicious call of this type, or any other telephone call requesting personal identification information, you should contact the U.S. District Court Office at 313-234-2619 to report the problem, or report it to your local police agency for further investigation.