"Jury Duty Warrant – Pay Now to Avoid Arrest" Call Scam
Sheriff warrant for missed jury duty — fine avoidance via gift card or wire transfer
This is Deputy Williams from the [County] Sheriff's Office. You failed to appear for jury duty on February 14th. A bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. To resolve this before officers are dispatched, call back at 1-888-555-0161.
Call
Confirmed scam
Courts never call to announce warrants — arrest warrants are served in person by law enforcement.
Typical victim loss: $500–$5,000
FTC Consumer Sentinel 2024 — government impersonation median $1,400; 330,000+ complaints 2025; $789M total
First seen
Aug 2024
Category
Government
Attack vector
Call
Trigger
Panic / Urgency
4 red flags in this message
Arrest threats over the phone
Real law enforcement executes warrants in person — they do not call ahead to warn you.
Pay to avoid arrest
Courts do not accept phone payments to cancel warrants. This is not how the justice system works.
Spoofed official number
Caller ID may show a real Sheriff's office number — this is trivially spoofed. Always hang up and call the court directly using their listed number.
Urgency before officers are dispatched
The time pressure prevents you from verifying. Real legal processes give you notice and time to respond.
What happens if you click
Caller transfers you to a 'supervisor' who accepts gift cards, crypto, or wire payment.
Once paid, escalating 'additional fines' are invented.
Average loss: $1,500–$5,000. Some victims lose $20,000+.
Other versions of this message
Scammers rotate wording to bypass spam filters. All variations lead to the same outcome.
This is Officer Johnson from the US Marshals Service. A federal arrest warrant was issued in your name for failure to appear for jury service.
You missed your jury duty obligation. Law enforcement has been authorized to execute an arrest warrant. Call immediately to pay the civil fine.
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Frequently asked questions
How does the real jury duty system work?+
Jury summons are sent by US mail. Missing jury duty results in a written notice of a rescheduled date or a formal hearing. Law enforcement does not call to collect fines.
What if I actually missed jury duty?+
Call your local courthouse directly using the number on your original jury summons or from the court's official website. Do not use numbers from the scam call.
Can I be arrested for missing jury duty?+
In rare cases of repeated non-compliance, a judge may issue a contempt order. This always involves formal court proceedings and written notice — never a phone call payment demand.
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Check your message →First documented: August 2024
Source: FTC Consumer Sentinel 2024 — government impersonation median $1,400; 330,000+ complaints 2025; $789M total
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