Consumers receiving an unexpected call, text, email, or voicemail saying they missed jury duty and face arrest unless they pay immediately should be extremely cautious.
Missed jury duty scams continue to impersonate sheriff's deputies, police officers, court employees, federal judges, and U.S. Marshals. Scammers may know your name and address, spoof a real government telephone number, and even send an official-looking fake arrest warrant.
If someone unexpectedly claims you missed jury duty and says you must immediately pay money to avoid arrest, the communication is almost certainly fraudulent. Courts do not demand payment over the phone, and real law enforcement will not text or email you an arrest warrant.
What Is the Missed Jury Duty Scam?
The missed jury duty scam is a government-impersonation scheme designed to frighten victims into sending money or revealing personal information.
A typical version works like this:
- You receive an unexpected call, voicemail, text, or email.
- The person claims you failed to appear for jury duty.
- You are told that a warrant has been issued for your arrest.
- The scammer may provide a fake case number, badge number, judge's name, or courthouse address.
- You are warned not to hang up or contact anyone else.
- You are told you can avoid arrest by making an immediate payment.
The goal is to create enough fear that you pay before checking whether the story is true.
New 2026 Jury Duty Scam: Fake Arrest Warrants
The Federal Trade Commission issued a new warning in June 2026 about an increasingly convincing variation of the jury duty scam.
After calling and claiming you missed jury duty, scammers may send a text message or email containing what appears to be an official arrest warrant.
The fake document may contain:
- Your name
- An alleged warrant or case number
- A supposed fine amount
- Court or law-enforcement logos
- The name of a real judge or officer
- Instructions for making payment
You can review the FTC's June 2026 missed jury duty scam warning.
Common Missed Jury Duty Scam Variations
Fake Sheriff's Deputy Call
The caller claims to be a deputy from your county sheriff's office and says a judge issued a warrant because you failed to appear for jury service.
The scammer may use the real name of a sheriff, deputy, judge, or court official to appear legitimate.
Fake U.S. Marshal Call
Scammers frequently impersonate the U.S. Marshals Service and claim a federal warrant has been issued.
The U.S. Marshals Service has repeatedly warned that it does not demand credit-card numbers, gift cards, bank routing numbers, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency payments from consumers to avoid arrest.
Fake Court Clerk Call
The caller may claim to work for a local or federal courthouse and provide a convincing-sounding case number.
Do not use a telephone number provided by the caller to verify the story. Find the court's official number independently.
Fake Arrest Warrant by Email or Text
Recent versions send an official-looking document after the initial call. The document may use government seals, signatures, court terminology, or fake payment instructions.
An impressive-looking PDF or photograph of a warrant does not prove that the document is genuine.
Fake Jury Duty Payment Website
Some scammers direct victims to websites designed to look like court, sheriff, or government payment portals.
The website may request:
- Your Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Driver's license information
- Debit or credit card details
- Bank information
Do not enter personal information into a website simply because a caller claiming to be law enforcement directed you there.
Jury Duty Scam Payment Methods
The FTC warns that scammers commonly demand payment through methods that make transactions difficult to reverse.
These may include:
- Gift cards
- Cryptocurrency or Bitcoin
- Zelle or other payment apps
- Wire transfers
- Prepaid debit cards
- Cash deposits
- Bitcoin ATMs or cryptocurrency kiosks
How Jury Duty Scammers Sound Convincing
These scams can be frightening because the caller may already know personal information about you.
Scammers may know or provide:
- Your full name
- Your home address
- Your county
- The name of a real judge
- The name of an actual sheriff or deputy
- A real courthouse address
- A realistic-looking badge number
- A fake court case number
The U.S. Marshals Service says scammers have used names of actual law-enforcement officers and federal judges, courthouse addresses, and other authentic information to make their stories more credible.
Knowing these details does not prove the caller works for the government.
Can Caller ID Show the Real Sheriff's Office?
Yes — and the call can still be fake.
Scammers can manipulate caller ID so that a telephone call appears to come from a legitimate courthouse, sheriff's department, police department, or U.S. Marshals office.
This practice is known as caller ID spoofing.
Never use caller ID alone to determine whether a government call is legitimate.
Do Courts Call About Jury Duty?
It is important not to oversimplify this point.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts says that most contact between federal courts and prospective jurors occurs through U.S. mail.
However, legitimate court officials may sometimes communicate by telephone or email.
What federal courts say they will not do is use a telephone call or email to demand sensitive personal information.
They also do not call demanding immediate payment to prevent your arrest.
U.S. Courts – Juror Scam Guidance
What Happens If You Really Miss Jury Duty?
Ignoring a genuine jury summons can have consequences, which is exactly why this scam is effective.
But legitimate courts use established procedures rather than unexpectedly demanding money through gift cards, cryptocurrency, payment apps, or wire transfers.
If you are worried that you actually missed a legitimate summons, verify the situation directly with the appropriate court.
How to Verify a Missed Jury Duty Call
- Hang up. Do not remain on the line because the caller threatens you.
- Do not call a number they provide.
- Find the court independently. Use an official government website.
- Call the clerk's office directly. Ask whether there is an actual jury-service issue connected to your name.
- Do not give the original caller personal information.
- Do not send money while you investigate.
If the caller claimed to represent a federal court, the U.S. Courts Federal Court Finder can help locate the appropriate official court.
Warning Signs of a Jury Duty Scam
Threatening Immediate Arrest
Scammers rely on fear. They may say deputies are already traveling to your house or that you will be arrested if you hang up.
Demanding Immediate Payment
The FTC states that courts do not demand payment over the phone.
Insisting You Stay on the Phone
A scammer may tell you that hanging up will activate the warrant or cause officers to arrest you.
This tactic is designed to prevent you from independently verifying the claim.
Gift Cards or Cryptocurrency
A demand for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps is an especially strong scam indicator.
Official-Looking Documents
Government logos, seals, signatures, warrant numbers, and legal terminology can all be copied or fabricated.
Caller ID Looks Legitimate
Do not trust the displayed number. Government and law-enforcement numbers can be spoofed.
What If You Already Paid the Jury Duty Scammer?
Act as quickly as possible.
- Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire-transfer company, gift-card issuer, or cryptocurrency service you used.
- Tell them the payment was connected to a scam.
- Ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed.
- Keep the gift card and receipt if gift cards were involved.
- Save all texts, emails, fake warrants, phone numbers, receipts, and transaction records.
- Report the scam to the FTC.
The FTC says it is worth contacting the payment company even when a transaction may already have gone through because some payment types can sometimes be reversed or refunded.
FTC – What To Do If You Were Scammed
What If You Shared Personal Information?
If you gave the scammer personal information such as your Social Security number, account credentials, or financial information, take additional precautions.
- Change compromised passwords.
- Contact affected financial institutions.
- Monitor accounts for unauthorized activity.
- Visit IdentityTheft.gov if identity information was exposed.
How to Report a Missed Jury Duty Scam
Reports can help authorities identify patterns and warn other consumers.
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov – Federal Trade Commission
- U.S. Courts Juror Scam Information
- Contact the clerk of the court the scammer claimed to represent using independently verified contact information.
- If a caller impersonated law enforcement, consider notifying the actual agency whose identity was used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the missed jury duty call a scam?
If an unexpected caller says you missed jury duty and must immediately pay money to avoid arrest, it is a scam. Verify any genuine concerns directly with the court using independently located contact information.
Will a sheriff call you for missing jury duty?
Do not assume a caller is legitimate merely because they claim to be from the sheriff's office. Scammers frequently impersonate local law enforcement and can spoof a real sheriff's telephone number.
Will the U.S. Marshals call about missed jury duty?
The U.S. Marshals Service warns that scammers impersonate Marshals and demand money for supposedly missing jury duty. The agency says it will not demand credit-card, debit-card or gift-card numbers, bank routing information, wire transfers, or Bitcoin payments.
Will a court text an arrest warrant?
No. The FTC states that real law enforcement will not text or email you an arrest warrant. Official-looking warrants sent after a threatening jury-duty call are a current scam tactic.
Can a fake jury duty call show a real government number?
Yes. Scammers can spoof caller ID so the call appears to originate from an actual police department, sheriff's office, courthouse, or government agency.
Should I pay a jury duty fine over the phone?
No. The FTC states that courts do not demand payment over the phone. Hang up and verify the situation independently with the court.
Related ThinkItsAScam.com Warnings
Have You Received a Missed Jury Duty Scam Call?
Share your experience below to help other consumers recognize current versions of the scam.
- Did the caller claim to be a sheriff's deputy, police officer, court official, or U.S. Marshal?
- Did they say a warrant had been issued?
- Did they send you a fake warrant by text or email?
- What payment method did they request?
- Did caller ID display a government telephone number?
- What county or state did they claim to represent?
Please do not post your full name, home address, Social Security number, complete telephone number, court case number, payment information, or other sensitive personal information in the comments.
Page reviewed and updated: August 15, 2026.
Disclaimer
ThinkItsAScam.com is an independent consumer information website and is not affiliated with the U.S. Courts, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Trade Commission, any courthouse, sheriff's office, police department, judge, or other government agency. Scam tactics and court procedures can vary by jurisdiction. If you have genuine concerns about jury service, contact the appropriate court directly using contact information from an official government source. This article is provided for general consumer information and is not legal advice.
```
