West Roxbury Police are warning residents to be aware of jury duty scam phone calls happening in the Parkway area.

After a person answers the phone the individual calling says that they are an officer of the court, and that the resident failed to report to jury duty and that there is a warrant for their arrest.

The perpetrator then says that to clear up the issue the resident needs to provide personal information for verification purposes, including a birthday, social security number and even a credit card number. 

Boston Police are encouraging residents to hang up if they receive a phone call like this.

 The following are important safety tips from the E-5 Community Service office:

• For the most part, large institutions will notify it's consumers with a letter.  This letter typically has all of your information on it including your name, address, and/or anything else related to the reason for the notification.  
• NEVER give out personal information to someone who has called you.  If you have contacted a company then you know who you have called and the information you are providing would be for security purposes.
• NEVER respond to e-mails or text messages that ask you to provide personal information.  Legitimate companies will NEVER contact you this way unless you have advised them to.
• ALWAYS look for your information when receiving a letter or phone call regarding your accounts. Any company you do business with will already have your information and will therefore NEVER be contacting you to ask you for it.
• If you find yourself questioning the authenticity of a letter, text, or phone call then CALL or if possible GO TO SEE someone at the company in question. It is always better to talk to someone you know and or someone you know is at a valid telephone number.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, it is recommended you call the three national credit reporting organizations to place a fraud alert on your name, and you should also call the Social Security fraud line. The fraud alert will notify any company that checks your credit about your information being stolen. They then have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

Equifax - 1-800-525-6285

Experian - 1-888-397-3742

Trans Union - 1-800-680-7289

Social Security Administration Fraud Line - 1-800-269-0271

Please call the E-5 Community Service Office at 617-343-4564 if you have any questions, or want to report a possible fraud incident.