The jury duty scam is back.
A federal fraud alert this week warns people about callers who say they are officers of the court with a warrant for your arrest.
Here's how it goes: A caller says you failed to show up for jury duty after receiving a summons. But you can clear it up by providing personal information, such as your Social Security number and birth date.
The real motive is identity theft, a so-called "phishing" scam, according to the FBI, which last warned about the scam in 2006 when it hit Minnesota and 10 other states. The thieves can even spoof your caller ID with a real court telephone number.
Real court officers who need personal information communicate via the U.S. mail, not phone, the FBI noted.
