Missed Jury Duty Threats? Scam
'You missed jury duty — there's a warrant, but you can pay the fine now by phone to clear it.' The caller may name a real courthouse and a real-sounding officer. Courts don't work this way: jury summons come by mail, and no court takes phone payments to quash warrants. It's all theater for your wallet.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Callers claiming you missed jury duty and must pay a fine immediately are scammers — courts never demand payment by phone. Hang up and call your local courthouse directly to check your status. Real jury notices arrive by mail, never by threatening call.
Follow these steps
- Hang up on the threat. The warrant, the fine, the 'pay now or deputies come' — all scripted pressure. Real courts don't negotiate warrants by phone.
- Call the courthouse directly. Look up your local court's real number and ask about your jury status. Two minutes ends the worry — see the SSA parallel for the same playbook.
- Know how jury duty really works. Summons arrive by mail weeks ahead. Missed summons get rescheduled by mail — not punished by surprise phone fine.
- Never pay by gift card or wire. Courts accept standard payment methods through official channels. Gift cards and wires are scam-only tender.
- Don't confirm personal details. The caller fishes for SSN and address 'to verify the warrant.' Real courts already have your records.
- Report the attempt. Report to the FTC and your local court's clerk — courts track these impersonations and warn the public.
What NOT to do
- Do not pay to make a 'warrant' disappear. Paying confirms you're a responsive target and the demands escalate.
- Do not meet anyone to pay in person. Some versions direct victims to parking lots — that's a robbery setup, not a court.
- Do not trust a callback number they provide. It reaches the scam crew's 'court clerk' — verify through independently found numbers.
- Do not ignore real jury mail because of this scam. The scam's existence doesn't excuse actual summons — check real mail separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really be arrested for missing jury duty?
Extremely rarely, and never via a surprise phone shakedown. Courts reschedule by mail long before any enforcement.
They named my local courthouse — how?
Public directories list every courthouse. Naming it costs the scammer nothing and buys them credibility.
What should I do with a real jury summons?
Follow the mailed instructions and call the court's real number with questions. The scam doesn't change legitimate civic duty.