Archive · 9 Aug 2026
US Jury Duty Scams: Red Flags and What to Do
Some people make phone calls pretending to be from the government.
They say you missed jury duty and will be arrested if you do not pay money.
This is a trick called a scam.
Real courts never ask you to pay over the phone to avoid arrest.
The scammers might pretend to be police officers or marshals.
They may even use a phone number that looks like it belongs to a real court.
They want you to send money with gift cards or cryptocurrency.
If you get such a call, hang up and do not give any personal information.
Look up the real court's official phone number and ask them directly.
You can also report the call to the Federal Trade Commission.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned about scams that use missed jury duty claims to demand money or personal information.
A Florida woman lost $25,000 after scammers told her she had missed federal jury duty and faced arrest, keeping her on the phone for hours.
Scammers impersonate US Marshals, police officers or court officials and may use caller-ID spoofing to show real government numbers.
Red flags include threats of arrest, immediate payment demands, requests for cryptocurrency or gift cards, and requests for Social Security numbers.
Officials advise hanging up, verifying claims directly with the court's Clerk of Court office, and reporting suspected scams to the FTC.
- Who
- Scammers impersonating US Marshals, police officers or court officials; the US Federal Trade Commission, which issued warnings; and consumers targeted by the scam.
- What
- A jury-duty scam that threatens arrest over missed jury service to pressure victims into sending money or personal information.
- When
- The FTC warnings are current; a recent Florida case was reported by The Wall Street Journal, though no exact date is given.
- Where
- United States, including a reported case in Florida.
- Why
- Scammers aim to collect money (often via cryptocurrency or gift cards) and personal information from victims.
- Scam type
- Missed jury duty phone scam
- Warning agency
- US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Reported loss
- $25,000 (Florida woman, reported by The Wall Street Journal)
- Demanded payment methods
- Cryptocurrency, gift cards, payment apps, wire transfers
- Impersonated officials
- US Marshals, police officers, court officials
- Number of red flags listed
- 7
- Key red flag
- Threat of arrest for missed jury duty
- Recommended action
- Hang up, contact Clerk of Court's office, report to FTC