District court officials in Pennsylvania want you to be aware of several reported instances of prank phone calls or text messages from family members or friends claiming a person has failed to appear for jury duty.
According to Court Administrator of Pennsylvania Zygmont A. Pines, the text messages and phone calls may claim that your name was listed in a local newspaper as failing to appear for jury duty.
The calls and text messages then instruct the person on the other end to dial a phone number, where a recorded message says they've failed to appear for jury duty and face either a $500 fine or a 30-day jail sentence.
The message then ends by saying the call is a joke and that the number ought to be forwarded to others to help keep the hoax going.
"This prank is causing confusion and anxiety and has resulted in disruptions and undue work for court employees, which translates to a waste of tax dollars," Pines said in a statement.
Pines says anyone who receives these calls or messages should not forward them to others.
If you have a question about jury service, the State Court Administrator recommends you call your county court administrator's office. You can search for your office on the Pennsylvania Courts website.
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