Posing as judiciary officials, scammers target potential jurors, court interpreters, court reporters, and others by trying to collect personal information and/or money, and threatening fines, prison time or other penalties if they fail to comply with certain demands.
If you receive a threatening phone call or email, refrain from disclosing any information requested. Federal courts will never use a phone call or email to request personal or financial information, or to threaten recipients who don't comply. Be skeptical of any emails or calls that:
- Ask for credit/debit card/gift card numbers, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers for any purpose.
- Ask you to provide any sensitive information, like your date of birth or social security number.
These calls and emails, which threaten recipients with fines and jail time if they do not comply, are fraudulent and are not connected with the federal courts.
Current Known Scams
SCAM ALERT:
Scammers are posing as Tulsa County Sheriff’s Officers and federal court personnel. These scammers will call trying to intimidate victims with threats of arrest and fines to get them to believe they failed to appear for jury duty. It can be a frightening phone call to receive. The scammers appear well-prepared. They have the names and address of their potential victims. They will try to convince victims that they missed jury duty by failing to report to court. To avoid arrest they demand payment of a “fine” for not responding. They request payment in cash, gift cards, or by providing debit/credit card information. A courier may respond to pick up the cash or gift cards, or they will instruct you to drop off payment at a secondary location. Failure to pay will result in “deputies” arresting the victim. They provide the real names and addresses of judges, court personnel, and the name of the US Marshal for the federal district.
DO NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION if someone calls claiming to be a judge, court officer, Deputy Marshal, or Deputy Sheriff and threatens fines or jail time for failure to comply with a jury summons. Assume it is a scam. Do not pay them anything. Federal officials will never request money or banking information from jurors.
FACTS:
- The federal courts send jury summons exclusively via US Mail
- When federal court personnel contact prospective jurors by phone, they will NEVER request payment or banking information.
- Fines are never imposed until after an individual appears in court and has the opportunity to discuss the jury absence with a judge. If a fine is imposed, it will be in open court and not over the phone.