Missed Jury Duty Call Demanding a Fine? It's a Scam. What to Do

Short answer: a call, text or email saying you missed jury duty and must pay a fine or be arrested is a scam. Courts do not demand payment over the phone, and real officers do not call to threaten arrest. Hang up, do not pay, and do not give your Social Security number or date of birth. If you are worried, look up your court's own phone number and call it yourself. If you already paid, contact your bank or the payment app straight away.

Last updated: Monday 2 November 2026.

How the jury duty scam call goes

The US Federal Trade Commission says scammers call pretending to be a US Marshal or a local police officer. They say you missed jury duty (you didn't) and threaten to arrest you (they won't) unless you pay a fine with a payment app or cryptocurrency (FTC, June 2026).

Newer versions add fake paperwork: a text or email with a document that looks like an official arrest warrant and the amount you supposedly owe. Some send you to a fake court website that asks for your date of birth and Social Security number to "look up how much you owe", and may demand up to $10,000 or send you to a "government kiosk" to pay in cryptocurrency (FTC, August 2025).

What it feels like when it happens

On Reddit's r/Scams community this month, one person wrote that a caller from "the sheriff's department" said they had missed jury duty, then sent them to withdraw cash and pay. They lost all their money. Another said they stayed on a "sheriff's office" call longer than they were proud of, because the caller claimed they had signed and returned a summons and then missed court.

The pressure is the point: an official title, a deadline, and a threat of arrest, so you act before you think.

Five signs it is a scam

• They want money now. Courts never ask you to pay over the phone, and the FTC says no government agency will do that.
• They want payment by app, crypto, gift card, cash pickup or a Bitcoin machine. Real fines are not paid that way.
• They threaten arrest if you hang up. Real law enforcement officers will not call to say they are going to arrest you.
• They ask for your Social Security number or date of birth. Federal courts "do not require anyone to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call or email" (US Courts).
• The caller ID shows your local police or court. Caller ID can be faked, so it proves nothing.

How courts really contact jurors

US Courts says most contact between a federal court and a prospective juror is through the US mail, and any genuine call or email from court staff will not ask for sensitive information. It is also a crime to pretend to be a federal court official.

If you think you may really have missed a summons, find your court's own contact details yourself, for example with the Federal Court Finder on uscourts.gov or your state court's website, and call the clerk. Do not use any number, link or QR code the caller gave you.

What to do right now

1. Hang up or stop replying. Do not press any number they tell you to press.
2. Do not pay and do not give any personal or bank details.
3. Check with the court yourself using a number you found independently.
4. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and tell the clerk of your local court.

Already paid?

• Card or bank transfer: call your bank on the number on your card now and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. See how to get a chargeback in the US, UK and Australia.
• Zelle, Venmo or Cash App: report it in the app and to your bank at once. See Zelle scams.
• Gift cards: contact the company that issued the card, tell them it was used in a scam and ask for a refund. Keep the card and the receipt.
• Crypto or a Bitcoin machine: contact the exchange or the machine operator straight away and report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
• Gave your Social Security number? Visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and consider a credit freeze.

Watch out for a second call offering to "recover" your money for a fee. That is the same scammers coming back. More on that in sent money to a scammer: can I get it back?