That Virginia Beach jury postcard you received is not a scam — really

The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office and the city’s Circuit Court want to make sure residents know recently mailed notices about jury duty questionnaires are real and not a scam.

According to the sheriff’s office, the court is using a new system to handle jury duty for court cases. The system includes a new phone number, 757-384-5545, and email address, [email protected].

“If you receive a notification in the mail with this information, it is legitimate and you should respond,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The notice is not a summons for jury duty. It is for a jury questionnaire that is taken through an official Virginia Beach website. The questionnaire must be completed within 10 days of receipt , and is used to determine whether a resident is qualified or exempt from jury service.

The new phone number and email address are for residents who don’t have access to a computer to fill out the survey, or have questions before completing the survey. If the resident has any questions, they are encouraged to call.

In recent years, some communities in Hampton Roads have had issues with jury duty scams. In September, the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office issued a notice about issues with scam callers. In that case, scammers called residents and identified themselves as a sheriff’s office deputy and claimed the resident missed jury duty. The scammers said they have a warrant for the resident’s arrest, and the resident must pay a bond immediately.

In Norfolk, residents received calls last year from someone claiming to be official with the Norfolk courthouse, citing specific judges and other staff. Similar to the Chesapeake scam, callers demanded money or gift cards from residents, claiming they missed jury duty.

According to Virginia law, someone who misses jury duty can be fined from $50 to $200. It is common for scammers to ask for upwards of $1,000 or more. Residents should never give personal information over the phone or email and are encouraged to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement.

“The Virginia Beach Circuit Court may call to find out why someone did not show up for jury duty, but our court officials will never request personal identifying information over the phone or request a payment to avoid the court process,” the court said in a notice about scams.

Eliza Noe, [email protected]