Jury duty scams in Hawaiʻi: Warning to the public

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi (KHON2) — The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary is now warning the public to be aware of jury duty scams, statewide. 

City officials said that there’s been a report of about 330,000 jury questionnaires that have arrived this week in mailboxes for potential jury service in 2026. 

The initiative to respond to jury questionnaires is crucial for Hawaiʻi residents.

While scamming questionnaires are being mailed out, the perpetrators often use the names of real officials, provide actual court addresses or manipulate caller ID to convince residents that it’s real and making this process of legitimacy almost impossible. 

In some cases, the scammers may know personal insights about the intended victim, including name, address or birth date. 

Some important facts to remember: 

1. The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary does not make calls, emails or texts about payment or personal information for jury-related matters.
2. All official jury service communications are sent through the U.S. Postal Service.
3. The courts and law enforcement will never:
   1. Ask for a Social Security number, credit card details, or bank account information over the phone or by email.
   2. Demand immediate payment from pre-paid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, or online payment apps to avoid arrest or jail. 
   3. Instruct you to meet at a courthouse, police station, or other location to make a payment.

Protecting yourself from scams comes from hanging up immediately if you receive a suspicious jury duty-related phone call, delete suspicious emails or texts claiming to be the Judiciary if you did not contact them first, and do not trust caller ID. 

If you believe you are in danger or have been threatened by a scammer, call 911. 

If you have given personal information or sent money to a scammer, report the incident to your local police department.