Jury duty scams combine a fake legal threat with an immediate payment demand. The caller may sound official, but real courts do not clear missed jury summonses through gift cards, crypto, wires, or payment apps over the phone.
Does this affect you?
Use this for phone calls, texts, or voicemails in the United States claiming you missed jury duty, ignored a court notice, or now have a warrant or fine.
Recognize why this is always a scam
No real court resolves missed jury duty with an on-the-spot phone payment.
- Courts normally follow up about missed jury duty by mail, not by a surprise payment-demand phone call.
- Courts do not accept fines by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app dictated by a caller.
- A real warrant is not erased because you read payment codes to someone on the phone. Legal issues are handled through court processes or with an attorney.
- Caller ID can be spoofed to show a courthouse, sheriff, or police department number. A familiar-looking number does not prove the caller is real.
- Pressure is the central warning sign. A real legal process gives written notice and time to respond, not a five-minute deadline.
What to do during or after the call
Hanging up is safe. If the issue were real, you could verify it through the court afterward.
- Hang up without pressing menu options, confirming your address, or explaining yourself to the caller.
- Do not call back a number the caller gave you. Look up your local courthouse through its official website and call that number.
- Ask the court whether there is any jury summons, missed appearance, or notice tied to your name.
- If you already paid, contact your bank, card issuer, payment app, wire service, or gift card company immediately.
- If you shared a Social Security number, date of birth, or other identity details, consider a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- Report the call at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your local police non-emergency line or court administration office.
More control
The same pattern may use different court language
Some callers say missed court date, contempt of court, subpoena, or warrant instead of jury duty. The rule is the same: no real court resolves it with immediate phone payment.
Careful people are targeted too
This scam works because responsible people worry they accidentally missed something official. Remember the simple version: mail first, no phone payments.
Sources
- U.S. Courts – Beware of Jury Duty Scams (2025)
- FTC Consumer Advice – Jury Duty Scams (2025)
- FBI – Common Fraud Schemes: Impersonation Scams (2025)