Jury Duty Scam Directed at Real Estate Brokers
The Division of Real Estate has been informed by the Denver Police Fraud Unit that a Jury Duty Scam is currently being directed at Colorado real estate brokers.
Through the Fraud Unit’s investigations, the scam is designed to intimidate and sometimes use fear to extort money as well as Personal Identifying Information (PII) through fraud and deceit. In some instances the scammers have used the threat of violence to intimidate their victims.
If you ever receive a request to purchase gift cards for an unknown person and are asked to provide the codes from the back, it is a SCAM! Never provide your Social Security or PII to anyone over the phone. If you are unsure who you are talking with, hang up, look up the number on the Internet and call them directly. Do not depend on the number they are calling from or the number provided by the probable scammer. No local Police/Sheriff’s Department will threaten you over the phone with an arrest warrant for missing Jury Duty, ask for your SS# or request payment via gift cards. If you receive one of these calls, hang up on them. If you suffer a financial loss due to this scam, call your local Police/Sheriff’s Department to file a crime report.
If you are contacted under these circumstances, you should immediately contact your local law enforcement agency. By reporting these scammers you are assisting in the investigation and possible prosecution of these individuals, as well as preventing you and others from being victimized by this Jury Duty Scam.