The Fresno County Courthouse. Google Street View photo

The Fresno Superior Court is warning members of the public to be aware of a possible phone scam from an individual claiming to be from the Fresno Sheriff’s Department.

The fraudulent caller is said to be informing potential victims that they failed to respond to a jury summons and, as a result, a warrant will be issued for their arrest if they do not pay a fine, according to a press release from the Fresno Superior Court.

The caller attempts to substantiate credibility by providing the name of a Fresno Superior Court Judicial Officer. The caller also has presented personal information about residents’ identities including their name, date of birth and Social Security number.

Law enforcement agencies and courts say that neither the court nor law enforcement contact residents via phone for missed jury summons, and do not maintain Social Security numbers.

Courts may follow up by phone with jurors who have been seated on a trial and fail to report.

“Scams regarding failure to appear for jury summons occur regularly and vary in the types of threats,” reads a press release from the Fresno Superior Court. “They are often designed to collect payment and/or leave a residence unattended for potential burglary.”

The press release added that threats of arrest or issued arrest warrants for noncompliance often accompany the scam calls.

Law enforcement urges potential victims not to give out personal information over the phone, and if they believe the calls to be legitimate, to contact either the courts or law enforcement to verify the validity of the claims.

Residents are also urged to report fraudulent calls to local law enforcement.