A call or text says you skipped jury duty, there's a warrant out, and a fine paid today will make it go away. Here's how to tell it's fake — and what to do.
On September 17, 2026, the FBI put out a fresh warning about criminals pretending to be police, court staff and other officials. It says its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received nearly 61,000 reports of these impersonation scams between January 2025 and July 2026, with losses of more than $1.6 billion. One of the most common stories is a missed jury duty or court date: the FBI counted 6,833 of those complaints and about $36 million lost. (FBI IC3)
The scam works because it mixes fear with a way out. You're told you're in trouble with a court, and that paying right now will fix it. Real courts don't work that way.
The FBI says these scammers mostly call, but texts and emails are used too. A text is usually short and official-sounding, with a deadline and either a phone number to call back or a link.
If you call back — or if the scam starts with a phone call — you'll usually hear from someone claiming to be a deputy, a sheriff's officer or a U.S. Marshal. Federal courts warn that these callers give badge numbers, case numbers and the names of real officials and judges, and that they can make their number show up on caller ID as a courthouse. (U.S. District Court, W.D. Wash.) Then comes the ask: pay a fine with a gift card, a payment app, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer, or “confirm” your Social Security number and date of birth. (FTC)
The FBI is blunt about this: law enforcement and government authorities will never contact members of the public by phone or text to demand any form of payment. (FBI IC3) The FTC says the same about courts specifically — they never ask for immediate payment over the phone, and they never ask for sensitive information like your Social Security number by phone either. (FTC)
Federal courts describe how the real process works: a genuine federal jury summons arrives by U.S. mail with the court's seal, and the court doesn't summon jurors by email. (U.S. District Court, D. Mont.) A valid warrant is served in person by a U.S. Marshal or another officer, not settled over the phone. (U.S. District Court, W.D.N.Y.) And if someone really did miss jury service, the court's own clerk's office follows up, and a judge may order them to appear in court — not pay a stranger. (U.S. District Court, D. Md.)
Act quickly: the sooner you report, the better the chance of stopping a payment. The FTC's advice by payment type: (FTC)
When you file at ic3.gov, the FBI asks you to include the scammer's contact details, the payment details and copies of the messages, so keep your screenshots, receipts and call log.
Share the text, email or voicemail to Shieldr and get a plain-English verdict — safe, suspicious or scam — with the reasons it spotted. It's one more check before you tap anything, not a guarantee.
Get Shieldr on the App StoreNot to collect money. The FBI says law enforcement and government authorities never call or text to demand payment. Federal courts send jury summonses by mail, and if you really missed service, the clerk's office follows up and a judge may order you to appear in court.
No. Federal courts warn that these scammers use badge numbers, case numbers and the names of real officials, and can make caller ID show a courthouse. Hang up and call the court using a number you look up yourself.
File a complaint at ic3.gov and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it came by text, forward the message to 7726. You can also tell your local police or sheriff, the FBI or the U.S. Marshals Service.