Some people will do anything to get out of jury duty. But what would happen to these same people, or you, received a phone call from a "jury coordinator" claiming you shirked your civic responsibility and could be arrested?

The FBI and local law enforcement are spreading the word that a "jury duty" scam is spreading across the nation. The FBI and the federal court system have also issued nationwide alerts, warning people about this scam.

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Chuck Lesaltato said this scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado.

The FBI said the scam works like this:

A person receives a phone call from someone identifying themselves as U.S. court employee, and advising them that they failed to report for jury duty.

These individuals then ask to verify personal information, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. If the request is refused, citizens are then told that they will be fined and/or arrested.

"This attempt to defraud is particularly effective because scammers use intimidation to convince victims to give out secure information by claiming to be affiliated with the court system," Lesaltato said.

If the victim protests that he or she never received a summons for jury duty, they are then asked for a Social Security number and date of birth, Lesaltato said.

"The scammer claims to be collecting the victim's information so he or she can cancel the arrest warrant that had been issued for failure to appear for jury duty," he said.

"The judicial system does not contact people telephonically and ask for personal information such as your Social Security number or date of birth," said Michael S. Welch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Office, Ind.

"If you receive one of these phone calls, do not provide any personal or confidential information to these individuals," said Peter M. Swaim, United States Marshal for the United States Marshals Service, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind. "This is an attempt to steal or to use your identity by obtaining your name or Social Security number. It is an attempt to defraud you."