r/Explainlikeimscared • u/678999821242069 • 9d ago
juror questionnaire
I live in Virginia (USA) and was sent a juror summons with a paper questionnaire to fill out and mail back. One of the boxes to fill out asks for my social security number, and I am wondering if I have to write out the whole number? Would the last 4 digits suffice or would that be a problem? I am afraid if it fell into the wrong hands that person would have my full name, DOB, and my full social but I don’t want to get in trouble with the courts by not filling it out right!
31
u/colliding-parallels 9d ago
Consider calling your circuit judge's office to be on the safe side. There are known scams that do this in Virginia. But if they say it's legitimate after calling then yes they mean the whole thing.
10
u/CaptainMalForever 9d ago
You might be able to fill it out online.
Otherwise, yes, you need to put your entire SSN on it.
7
u/FruitcupMadonna 9d ago
If they pay you for jury duty, it can be considered income, and they may need to report it to the IRS & state tax agency. You would need to keep records of payment and report the income to the IRS & your state tax agency. Definitely call the court to ensure the document you received is legit, but this is absolutely a reason I can think of that they'd request your SSN, for tax purposes.
5
u/Sure-Initiative6001 9d ago
I was paid a whopping $12 for a full day of jury duty. Not even half of what I make an hour lol
2
1
2
u/EmZee2022 9d ago
Is there no way to fill it out online? Mine always has that (Fairfax County). I was even able to request a reschedule date, when I got a summons for a date where I had vacation.
2
u/Commercial-Car-5615 9d ago
It's so you can be paid if you are selected and the case goes beyond 4 days, I think. They will pay you on a 1099
3
u/notthegoatseguy 9d ago
With all of the data leaks over the years, you should probably consider your SSN semi-public knowledge anyway.
The mail is from a government agency, being handled by the United States Postal Service in transit to said government. Mail crime, while it does happen, is exceptionally rare and heavily prosecuted. I would say your information filled out on that form is very safe from eyes that shouldn't have access to it.
-3
u/Aggressive-Leading45 9d ago
I don’t get the worry people have over the SSN. It was never meant to be a secret. It’s just like your name but more unique.
5
u/iOSCaleb 8d ago
SSN was never meant to be either a secret or an identifier for anything other than Social Security. But lots of government agencies, banks, insurance companies, etc., have misused it for decades as the primary key for all sorts of sensitive personal data, so SSN has become somewhat sensitive.
-1
u/Aggressive-Leading45 8d ago
It’s still like saying your name is secret/sensitive. For a few years it was difficult to push back against someone misrepresenting your ID now there are plenty of tools to easily reject misrepresentation. Focus on teaching folks on how to protect their ID because as others have said SSNs are def no longer secret on the dark web. Hiding your information just gives a false sense of security.
1
u/CoffeeChocolateBoth 9d ago
I filled it out online. I did not mail anything with my SS# There should be an option for that.
1
23
u/doglady1342 9d ago
Where are you supposed to mail it to? Have you double checked to make sure the address matches up with the courthouse? I would call the courthouse and ask if that's a legitimate summons.