The U-S Marshals Service is warning Iowans about an expected boost in telephone scams during the holiday season. Supervisory Deputy Marshal William Iverson, in the Omaha office, says con artists will claim you’ve missed jury duty or broken some other law. They’ll go the extra mile to make you believe it’s a legitimate call, giving badge numbers and the names of real federal judges.

“The callers sound very official,” Iverson says, “and with the threat of arrest and confinement, people naturally get concerned and act probably more quickly than normal.” They’ll also likely “spoof” their phone number so the Caller I-D screen makes it appear to be a call from a government agency. They’ll likely offer to let you pay your bogus fine right there, over the phone.

“The Marshals Service would never collect fines via credit or debit card,” Iverson says. “That should be your first sign that something is not legitimate.” They’d also never ask for bank routing numbers in order to wire money or to purchase a gift card. Iverson says if you get such a call, just hang up.

“It’s the holiday season and we’re concerned about people losing money,” Iverson says. “If you do receive a call that’s suspicious, take a second and think about it. If it doesn’t seem legitimate, it’s probably not.” If there’s a chance you actually did miss jury duty, contact your nearest courthouse directly.

(Radio Iowa)