Police warrant / jury duty impersonation scam

A caller claims to be a county deputy, sheriff, or court officer. They tell you that you missed jury duty, have an outstanding bench warrant, or have an unpaid contempt-of-court fine. To avoid immediate arrest, you must pay a "fine" via gift cards, wire transfer, or cash courier.

The threat plays on the genuine intimidation most people feel about court summons and police interaction. The caller often spoofs caller ID to show the local sheriff's office. They sometimes have your name, address, and partial DOB from public records.

Real courts and law enforcement do not collect fines by phone, do not accept gift cards, and do not arrange in-person cash pickups. Real bench warrants are served in person, never by phone.

• Phone call about a warrant or missed court date.
• Demand for immediate payment to avoid arrest.
• Payment requested via gift cards, wire, prepaid debit, or "fine kiosk" at a local store.
• Caller ID shows local sheriff's office.
• Caller refuses to let you call back at the public number for the office.
• They direct you to drive to a CVS or Walmart to buy gift cards.
• A "courier" will pick up cash from your home.

1. Hang up. Real courts and police never collect fines by phone.
2. Call the actual court or sheriff's office using a number from their official .gov website. Verify any claimed warrant or missed date.
3. Real bench warrants can be checked on your county's online court records system.
4. Real fines are paid through the court clerk's office, online portal, or by mail — never by gift card or wire.
5. If a warrant truly exists, you can usually voluntarily appear at the court clerk's office to address it — often for much less than the "fine" the scammer demands.

• Call your bank, wire service, or gift-card issuer immediately.
• File a report with your local police (the real ones).
• Report to the FTC, IC3, and your state attorney general.
• Check your court records — there is almost certainly no real warrant.
• Block the caller's number.

• Do not convert cash to gift cards to "pay a fine."
• Do not meet a "courier" to hand over cash.
• Do not stay on the line because the caller insists.
• Do not assume "they have my address" proves they're legitimate. Address records are public.

• FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov — the broadest US fraud intake; reports flow to thousands of law-enforcement agencies.
• FBI IC3: ic3.gov — the right destination when the scam is internet-enabled (phishing, BEC, romance, crypto).
• CFPB: consumerfinance.gov/complaint — for complaints about banks, money transmitters, payment apps, credit cards, debt collection.
• IdentityTheft.gov — if any identity information (SSN, driver's license, account credentials) was shared.
• Your bank or payment platform. Call the number on the back of your card or use the app's in-product help. Time matters — wires can sometimes be recalled within hours; ACH and Zelle are harder but worth trying.