Missed jury duty scam: "pay the fine or face arrest"
Scammers pose as a court clerk, sheriff, or officer and say you missed jury duty. They threaten arrest unless you pay a "fine" right away, often with prepaid cards, gift cards, or a payment app.
How this scam works
The missed-date claim is hard to disprove on the spot, and the arrest threat makes paying feel safer than checking. The payment method is one that cannot be reversed once the money is sent.
Common versions of the message
- A missed jury duty date
- A bench warrant for your arrest
- A fine paid today by prepaid card, gift card, or payment app
What the message looks like
Text from +1 (555) 019-3347
Clerk of Court: Our records show you failed to appear for jury duty on 10/14. A bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. To clear it, pay the $498 fine today with a prepaid card. Call Officer Daniels at (555) 019-3347.
Fictional example based on common, publicly reported scam patterns.
The red flags
- 1
Surprise violation: “failed to appear for jury duty”
Courts send jury notices by mail, not text
Jury summonses and missed-appearance notices come by mail from the court. A surprise text is not how a court tells you about a problem.
- 2
Arrest threat: “bench warrant has been issued”
Fear so you pay before you check
A warrant threat is meant to frighten you into paying before you call the court yourself.
- 3
Pay today: “pay the $498 fine today”
No court collects a fine by text
A real court will not demand a fine over the phone or by text the same day, and it will not settle a warrant for a payment.
- 4
Untraceable payment: “with a prepaid card”
Courts never take prepaid or gift cards
Prepaid cards and gift cards work like cash. No court or police department accepts them.
What to do
- Do not call the number in the message or pay anything.
- Look up your county court's phone number on its official .gov website and ask whether there is any record of a missed jury date.
- Report the message to the court and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).
If you already replied, clicked, or paid
- If you paid with a prepaid or gift card, contact the card company right away and keep the card and receipt.
- If you paid by payment app, card, or bank transfer, report it to that company or call the number on your card immediately.
- If you shared your Social Security number or date of birth, take the identity-protection steps at IdentityTheft.gov.
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