INDIANAPOLIS — Officials at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana are warning people that scammers are using the court's name to trick people into clicking a potentially harmful internet link.
According to a report from the court, the clerk's office began receiving calls on Tuesday from individuals who said they had been sent emails informing them they had been summonsed for federal jury service. The email reportedly tells recipients to click a link.
Court officials on Wednesday said federal courts do not issue jury summons via email. Anyone receiving a legitimate jury summons will receive that information in the mail. The court urged people not to click any link included in an email from an unknown sender.
Many recipients of this email are state employees and are receiving the scam email on their work email account. State employees are encouraged to notify their information technology staff if they receive the email.
Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of such a scam are encouraged to report the incident to the District Court Clerk's Office at 317-229-3700 as well as the Federal Trade Commission.
In addition, all in-person jury trials in all divisions of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana are suspended until at least April 5 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
