Jury duty warrant: what they say, how to spot it, what to do

What they say

These are typical approaches, written as examples. The wording and claimed sender can change.

• “You missed jury duty. Pay this fine now or we will arrest you.”
• “I am a deputy with a warrant. Stay on the phone while you pay.”
• “Send a gift-card code to clear your name before officers arrive.”

How to spot it

• A threatening caller demands money before you can check the court record.
• They specify gift cards, cryptocurrency or a payment app to cancel an arrest.
• They tell you to keep the matter secret or refuse an independent callback.

What to do now

1. End the call. Do not send money, share identity details or meet a courier. Write down which court and official the caller claimed to represent without continuing the conversation to gather more details.
2. Find the court’s official website yourself and use its published clerk or jury-office number. Ask about any genuine jury notice in your name. Do not use the threatening caller’s callback number.
3. Verify any real correspondence separately and follow the court’s instructions for resolving it. If someone threatens immediate physical harm or comes to your home, contact local police; call 911 for immediate danger.

If you already paid or shared details

1. If you paid, contact the bank or card issuer promptly and report the impersonation to local police. Keep receipts, the displayed number, any voicemail and the court name used.
2. If you shared a Social Security number or other identity details, use IdentityTheft.gov to make a recovery plan. Contact the actual court if someone may have used its name in further messages.

Contact the bank, card issuer or payment provider promptly and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. Recovery is not guaranteed. Change exposed passwords through the genuine service. Keep receipts and messages privately for your report.

Report the attempt at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If identity details were exposed, start at IdentityTheft.gov.

Sources

• FTC: government impersonation scams
• FTC: phone scams and threats
• FTC: what to do if you were scammed

Questions people ask

Does a claimed badge or warrant number prove the call?

No. Verify the claim with the court clerk or law enforcement agency using contact details from its official website.

Can I ignore a genuine jury notice after a scam call?

Check real notices with the court. Ending a suspicious call and verifying official correspondence are separate steps; do not assume every notice is fake.