Scammers often use fear and intimidation to convince people of their scheme. In jury duty scams, criminals call or message posing as court officials, U.S. marshals, or sheriff’s deputies. They falsely claim that you missed a jury summons and threaten you with immediate arrest unless you pay right away.

To heighten the panic, criminals often spoof caller ID screens to display a local courthouse or police department number. They aggressively demand that you stay on the phone while you purchase gift cards, send a wire transfer, or deposit money into a cryptocurrency account. In other instances, they may ask for your Social Security number under the guise of checking records.

Real courts will never contact you out of the blue to demand immediate payment or sensitive information over the phone, nor do they threaten jail time for a missed jury summons. Official court business regarding jury service is managed exclusively through the mail. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and verify the claim by calling your local courthouse directly.

Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Send an email to me@aarp.org.