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⚖️ Jury Duty Scam Calls: How to Check a Summons Is Real
No court collects fines over the phone. Here is how the jury duty scam runs, how real courts get in touch, and how to check a summons in five minutes.
Quick answer: A call, text or email saying you missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid arrest is a scam. The FTC says “Courts never demand payment over the phone” FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026). To check, look up your court’s clerk yourself and call that number.
How does the jury duty scam work?
- The call. Someone posing as a U.S. Marshal or local police officer says you missed jury duty. They may already know your name and address FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026).
- The threat. They say a warrant is out and you will be arrested unless you pay now FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026).
- The “proof”. A text or email follows with a fake arrest warrant showing the amount owed FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026).
- The payment. They want a payment app, cryptocurrency, gift cards or a wire service such as Western Union or MoneyGram FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026).
Some versions ask for your Social Security number or date of birth to “clear” the record. That is identity theft. Federal courts say they never require sensitive information by phone or email U.S. Courts, Juror Scams.
How do real courts contact jurors?
- By post. Most contact between federal courts and prospective jurors is by U.S. mail U.S. Courts, Juror Scams.
- No sensitive data by phone or email. A genuine court official will not ask for it that way U.S. Courts, Juror Scams.
- Fines are a court process. A judge decides penalties in a hearing. Nobody settles a warrant with a phone payment FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026).
Most jury summonses come from state or county courts, not federal ones. The same signs apply to both.
How do I check whether a summons is real?
- Do not use any number or link in the message. Scammers spoof caller ID and build convincing court pages.
- Find the court yourself. For federal courts, use the Federal Court Finder on uscourts.gov U.S. Courts, Juror Scams. For state courts, start from your state judiciary’s official site.
- Call the clerk’s jury office and give the name on the summons. They can tell you whether you were ever called.
- Check any QR code or web address before you scan or type it. Our scam message checker flags common tricks.
What if I already paid or shared details?
- Gift cards: call the card company at once and ask for a refund. Keep the cards and receipts.
- Payment app, wire or bank transfer: contact the service or your bank and ask it to reverse the payment.
- Crypto: report it to the exchange you used. Crypto transfers are rarely reversible.
- Social Security number: freeze your credit and file at IdentityTheft.gov.
Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov FTC consumer alert (11 Jun 2026). Tell your local court clerk too, so it can warn others U.S. Courts, Juror Scams. Impersonating a federal court official is a crime U.S. Courts, Juror Scams.
Frequently asked questions
Will police call me if I miss jury duty?
No court collects a fine over the phone. If a court needs to follow up, it usually writes to you. A caller threatening arrest unless you pay now is a scammer.
Do courts text or email arrest warrants?
No. The FTC says real law enforcement will never text or email you an arrest warrant.
How do I know if a jury summons is real?
Find your court's clerk yourself, through uscourts.gov or your state judiciary's site. Then call the jury office with the name on the summons.
Can you pay a jury duty fine with gift cards?
No. Courts do not take gift cards, crypto, payment apps or wire transfers for fines. Anyone asking for those is a scammer.
What should I do if I paid a jury duty scammer?
Contact the gift card company, bank, payment app or wire service at once and ask for a reversal. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.