Jury duty and arrest-warrant scam calls
A caller says you missed jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay. It is a scam. Courts never demand payment over the phone.
If this is happening to you right now
- Stop. Do not pay, click, or share any code or password.
- Hang up or stop replying.
- Tell someone you trust. Scammers want it kept secret.
- Look up the real number yourself before calling anyone back.
How this scam works
- The FTC says most jury duty scams start with an "urgent" call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal or an officer from your local police department. They may already know your full name or address.
- They say you missed jury duty and threaten to arrest you unless you pay a fine with a payment app or cryptocurrency (FTC, Jun 11, 2026).
- Now scammers also text or email a document that looks like an official arrest warrant, with how much you "owe." The FTC says it is all fake.
- A related trick: callers who say there is a warrant out for your arrest and you will go to jail unless you pay right away (FTC).
Warning signs
- A call, text or email about missed jury duty with a demand to pay.
- An "arrest warrant" sent by text or email. The FTC says real law enforcement never does this.
- Threats of arrest if you hang up.
- Payment only by payment app, cryptocurrency, gift card or a wire service like Western Union or MoneyGram.
- Caller ID that shows a police department or the U.S. Marshals. Caller ID can be faked.
What to do
- Hang up. Do not pay and do not share personal information.
- If you are worried, look up the real number for the court or office yourself and contact them directly (FTC).
- Talk to someone you trust before you do anything.
- If you already paid, follow the FTC's steps in what to do after you paid.
Where to report it
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Your state attorney general or consumer office: State directory
More: full reporting directory · what to do after you paid · family safety plan
Common questions
Can a court or the police make me pay a jury duty fine over the phone?
No. The FTC says courts never demand payment over the phone, and no government agency will. Real law enforcement will never text or email you an arrest warrant.
The caller ID showed my local police department. Is it real?
Not necessarily. The FTC says even if the caller ID looks like your local police department or the U.S. Marshals, real officers will not call to say they will arrest you, and they will not threaten to arrest you if you hang up.
Sources
Last verified: October 20, 2026. We link to the original public pages. Agency advice can change; check the linked page.
- Ignore calls, texts, and emails threatening to arrest you for missing jury duty (FTC Consumer Alert; Jun 11, 2026)
- How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam (FTC; Nov 2023)