Jury Duty Scam

A caller claims to be a sheriff or court officer saying you missed jury duty and now face arrest unless you immediately pay a fine — usually via gift cards or a prepaid card — to avoid being taken into custody.

A caller impersonating a sheriff's deputy or court officer tells the victim they missed a jury duty summons and now have an active warrant for their arrest, which can only be resolved by immediately paying a fine. The caller uses official-sounding titles, badge numbers, and case numbers to sound credible, insists the payment must be made right away via gift cards or a prepaid debit card to avoid being taken into custody, and often warns the victim not to hang up or contact the courthouse directly while the "payment" is processed.

• A claim that you'll be arrested imminently unless you pay a fine right now.
• Payment demanded through gift cards or a prepaid card.
• Instructions not to hang up or verify the claim by calling the courthouse yourself.
• Use of official-sounding badge or case numbers to sound legitimate.

• Courts never demand payment over the phone to avoid arrest.
• Gift cards are never a legitimate form of payment for any government fee or fine.
• Hang up and call your local courthouse directly using a number you look up yourself.
• Law enforcement does not call ahead to warn of an imminent arrest.