Scammers are targeting individuals with a new jury duty scam, using phone calls to threaten an arrest warrant for missed jury duty and demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest.
How the Court Impersonation Scam Operates
The scam begins with a phone call, often from a blocked or unknown number, in which a person impersonates a court official or member of the local sheriff’s department. They falsely claim the target has failed to appear for jury duty.
To appear credible, these scammers often use the victim’s full name and address, which they obtain from data brokers or public records. They then threaten the individual with an immediate arrest warrant to create a sense of urgency and fear.
Anatomy of the Jury Duty Scam
The primary goal is to extort money by demanding immediate payment to resolve the fake warrant. A major red flag is that scammers are demanding gift cards or wire transfers, which are untraceable payment methods that legitimate government agencies do not use.
Individuals should remember that law enforcement and other government agencies will never ask for payment over the phone to clear up a legal matter. Furthermore, official jury summons are always delivered by mail, not through a phone call.
Exploiting Fear and Civic Responsibility
This particular phone call missed jury duty arrest warrant scam is highly effective because it preys on people’s fear and their sense of civic responsibility. Many are unfamiliar with the official summons process, making them more vulnerable to manipulation.
Scammers make their threats sound more credible by using personal details gathered from various sources, including past data breaches and publicly available information. This personalization convinces victims the call is legitimate.
How to Stop Scam Calls and Protect Yourself
If you receive a threatening call demanding money, you should hang up immediately. Never give personal information or send payment to an unknown caller making threats.
To verify any claims, contact your local court or police department directly using an official phone number found on their government website. Do not use any contact information provided by the potential scammer.
Using Technology to Block Scammers
Modern smartphones offer tools to combat this court official impersonation scam. Features like Google Call Screen and the iPhone’s “Silence Unknown Callers” option can filter suspicious calls, while call-blocking apps like Truecaller and Hiya also help.
You can also report unwanted calls to law enforcement and block the scammer’s number. Many phone carriers also allow users to forward scam texts to the number 7726 (SPAM) to help track and block these operations.
