Jury Duty Warrant Threat Call Scam Examples
A caller claiming to be a court clerk, sheriff, or police officer says you missed jury duty and a warrant is out for your arrest, cancellable only by paying a fine immediately over the phone, often via gift cards or wire transfer. Real courts do not collect fines by phone and never demand gift cards. The scammer's goal is to use fear of arrest to rush you into paying before you can think it through or verify the claim. The most important step is to hang up and call your local courthouse directly using a number you look up yourself.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
This is Officer [name] from the [County] Sheriff. You failed to appear for jury duty and a warrant has been issued. To avoid arrest today, you must pay a [amount] fine. Call [fake number] immediately.
You have been charged with contempt of court for missing jury duty in [County]. Your arrest warrant will be executed within two hours unless you pay [amount] in gift cards and call us back at [fake number].
This is a final notice from the [State] Circuit Court. A bench warrant is active for your failure to appear. Pay [amount] now to have the warrant recalled before deputies arrive.
Automated notice: A [County] grand jury warrant has been issued in your name. Press 1 to speak with a clerk and resolve your outstanding fine of [amount] before enforcement begins.
What the scammer wants
To frighten you into paying a fake fine using gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency by making you believe arrest is imminent if you do not comply immediately.
Red flags in the message
- Real courts do not call to demand immediate payment to cancel a warrant
- Pressure to pay within hours to avoid arrest
- Requests for gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
- Caller refuses to let you hang up and verify via official court numbers
- Uses aggressive, urgent language and threatens immediate arrest
- The callback number is not the official court or sheriff number
A safe response
Hang up immediately. If you are genuinely concerned about jury duty, call the court directly using the number on the official court website — not any number the caller provides.
What not to send
- Gift card codes
- Wire transfer or cash
- Personal ID numbers
What to do if you already replied
- If you paid, report to your local police and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- If you gave personal details, place a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus
- Contact your bank if any account or card information was shared
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot the full message or call details
- Note the sender number, email, or profile
- Save any links (without clicking) and payment details
- Record dates and times
Frequently asked questions
They knew my name and address — doesn't that mean it's real?
No, basic details like name and address are widely available through data brokers, public records, and past breaches, so having them proves nothing. Courts communicate about jury duty and warrants through official mail, not urgent phone calls demanding immediate payment.
Do courts ever ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency to clear a warrant?
No, this is never how real court fines or bail work. No legitimate court, police department, or government agency will ever ask for payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer read out over the phone. Any such request is a scam.
I'm scared there might be a real warrant — how do I check?
Look up your local courthouse or county clerk's phone number independently online or in an official directory, then call them directly about your case status. Do not use any number the caller gave you or one left on a suspicious voicemail.
I already sent gift card codes — is there any way to get the money back?
Recovery is unlikely once codes have been given out, since they can be redeemed almost instantly, but report it to the gift card issuer and your local police as soon as possible. Contact the retailer that issued the cards directly, as they occasionally can flag unredeemed balances.