Picture this: you’re enjoying your morning coffee, planning your day, and then… BAM! Your phone rings with an “urgent” call. It’s someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal or a local police officer. They know your full name, and they’re telling you that you missed jury duty. What? Jury duty? You didn’t even get the memo!

Before you can process, they drop the bombshell: there’s a warrant out for your arrest unless you cough up a fine. Oh, and you better do it quickly with a payment app or some cryptocurrency. Cue the panic.

But hold your horses! It’s a scam, and a pretty cheeky one at that. Here’s how you can spot this sneaky ploy before you panic-purchase a plane ticket to a non-extradition country.

Scam Clues You Can’t Ignore

  1. Officially Fake Documents: Scammers are stepping up their game by sending texts or emails with what look like official arrest warrants. Spoiler alert: they are as real as unicorns.

  2. Law Enforcement’s Real M.O.: Real officers don’t send arrest warrants via email or text. They also don’t call to say, “Hey, we’re about to arrest you, but if you pay, we’ll look the other way.” Nope, not how it works.

  3. Caller ID Shenanigans: Even if your caller ID says it’s the police or U.S. Marshals, it can be faked. These scammers are like digital chameleons.

  4. Pay Up, But Only With…: If you’re told to pay using a payment app, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or a wire transfer service, it’s a dead giveaway. Real courts and government agencies prefer more traditional (and traceable) methods.

What To Do If They Call

  • Stay Cool: Hang up. You’re not in trouble, and you don’t owe any fines.

  • Report, Report, Report: Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The more these scams are reported, the better we can squash them.

  • Already Paid a Scammer? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Check out What To Do if You Were Scammed for advice on how to potentially recover your money and protect yourself in the future.

Remember, while missing jury duty might get you a slap on the wrist from the court, it definitely won’t get you a phone call threatening immediate arrest. So, keep your wits about you and your money in your pocket!

For more information, check out the original article at FTC.gov.

Original article: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/06/ignore-calls-texts-and-emails-threatening-arrest-you-missing-jury-duty