Jury-duty calls, texts, and emails that threaten arrest
Federal Trade CommissionNationwide
On June 11, 2026, the FTC described a jury-duty scam that starts with an urgent call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal or a local police officer. The caller may already know your name or address, says you missed jury duty, and threatens arrest unless you pay a fine with a payment app or cryptocurrency.
A newer piece is a text or email carrying a document that looks like an arrest warrant and states an amount owed for missing jury duty. The FTC says the document is fake. Real law enforcement will not text or email an arrest warrant, will not call to say they will arrest you if you hang up, and courts will not demand payment over the phone. No government agency will. Only scammers say the only way to pay is a payment app, cryptocurrency, a gift card, or a wire service such as Western Union or MoneyGram.
Red flags
- A caller says you missed jury duty and that officers are about to arrest you.
- A text or email attaches a document that looks like a warrant and lists an amount due.
- Caller ID shows a police department or the U.S. Marshals. The FTC says that display can be faked.
- You are told to pay only by payment app, cryptocurrency, gift card, or wire.
How to protect yourself
- Hang up. Courts do not collect fines through an unexpected phone call.
- Do not open attachments or pay from a text or email about a warrant.
- If you are worried about a real jury notice, contact the court through a phone number or website you look up yourself.
- Talk with someone you trust before you move any money.
If you are hit
- Report the call or message at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- If you paid, contact the app, exchange, card issuer, or wire company immediately and ask whether the transfer can be reversed. Steps by payment type are at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed
- Keep the message. Do not delete it until you have reported the number and the document.
Questions
Is Jury-duty calls, texts, and emails that threaten arrest a scam?
On June 11, 2026, the FTC described a jury-duty scam that starts with an urgent call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal or a local police officer. The caller may already know your name or address, says you missed jury duty, and threatens arrest unless you pay a fine with a payment app or cryptocurrency. This page summarizes a public warning from Federal Trade Commission dated June 11, 2026. The linked source is the record.
What should I do if I fell for it?
Report the call or message at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you paid, contact the app, exchange, card issuer, or wire company immediately and ask whether the transfer can be reversed. Steps by payment type are at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed. Keep the message. Do not delete it until you have reported the number and the document.
Sources
This summary is informational and not legal advice. If it and the linked source disagree, follow the source.
Related alerts
- Callers pretending the FTC will shut off your phone numberOctober 22, 2026
- Midterm pitches that sell donations, merchandise, or fake voter pagesOctober 15, 2026
- Calls from fake officers demanding payment to clear a crimeSeptember 17, 2026
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