Jury Duty Scam Strikes The Hudson Valley Again, This Time in Orange County

Scammers are finding more and more ways to access innocent victims across the Hudson Valley.

Jury Duty Scam Hits Hudson Valley

Last week, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office shared an array of tips and tricks to keep the public safe from scammers.

The tips were in response to a new scam making its rounds across Dutchess County. With this new scam, scammers are calling victims and telling them that they have missed jury duty.

That's when the scammers will "attempt to solicit money" from the victims. The scammers tell them that the money is to "avoid the consequences for missing the fake jury duty."

The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office explains that law enforcement never contacts people about jury duty.

Orange County Now Targeted with Jury Duty Scam

Now, the Orange County Sheriffs Office is warning of the same scam in their neck of the woods.

In a press release shared to social media, the Orange County Sheriffs Office and Orange County Commissioner of Jurors Molly O'Donnell are "warning residents about ongoing jury duty scam calls in which individuals falsely claim to represent the court system and demand immediate payment for missing jury duty."

Commissioner Molly O'Donnell said in the statement:

 "These scammers rely on fear and urgency to pressure people into acting quickly. Official jury duty information is provided only through the New York State Unified Court System at www.nyjuror.gov."

O'Donnell adds "The Orange County Commissioner of Jurors Office will never call, email, or text anyone demanding payment of any kind." If you have any questions regarding Jury Duty contact the Orange County Commissioner of Jurors Office at (845)476-3600 or email them at orangejury@nycourts.gov.

What You Should Do If You Think You're Getting Scammed

Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta shared in the press release the following statement "These calls are criminal scams intended to exploit the public and undermine confidence in our justice system."

Sheriff Arteta adds:

We urge residents not to engage with these callers and to report any suspicious activity to the Orange County Sheriff's Office so we can investigate and help prevent others from becoming victims.

To avoid being scammed, the Orange County Sheriffs Office recommends you should not send money, gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.

They also recommend no providing personal or financial information, and to keep your Social Security number, bank details or credit card number with anyone.

If you believe you're getting scammed the Orange County Sheriffs Office suggest doing the following:

• Hang up immediately if a caller demands payment related to jury service

• Report the scam to the Orange County Sheriff's Office

• Verify jury information only through the official website: www.nyjuror.gov

• Contact the Commissioner of Jurors Office if you have questions about jury service

As always, report any suspicious activity to the non-emergency line at 845-291-7929.