Scam warning over jury service texts
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A warning has been raised over scam texts demanding the public perform jury service or pay to postpone it.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has raised the alarm about the messages.
They are designed to look as if they have come from the UK Government.
Katherine Hart, lead officer at the CTSI, said: “I am deeply concerned about this scam because the website accompanying it looks so real and is designed with the most authoritative branding – the Government.
“Also, the fact that members of the public may be fined if they do not reply to an official jury summons may provoke panic in those who receive this fake message.”
She added: “An official jury summons will never ask you to pay a fee for postponing service.
“A real summons will ask you to confirm whether or not you can go and to explain your reasons for being unavailable.
“Any message mentioning exchanging money is a red flag and should be ignored.”
The scam texts link to a bogus website, which asks potential victims to confirm that they can perform jury service or opt to postpone it for six months at a cost of £34.99.
