The FBI Charlotte Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina are alerting the public to a jury duty scam involving fake federal arrest warrants.
In this scheme, scammers contact individuals by phone, text, or email, claiming they failed to appear for jury duty and now face a federal arrest warrant. To make their story more convincing, the fraudsters often send what appears to be an official arrest warrant featuring the names of real federal agents, prosecutors, or judges from North Carolina.
Victims are then pressured to pay a fine—typically through a virtual currency machine or kiosk—to avoid arrest. These forms of payment are difficult to trace and allow scammers to quickly move the funds to anonymous digital wallets.
To further the deception, scammers may “spoof” caller ID information, making it appear the call is coming from a courthouse or government agency. Authorities stress that real arrest warrants are never sent by email or text and never require immediate payment to avoid jail time. Legitimate warrants are served in person by law enforcement or court officials.
To protect yourself from falling victim to scams:
- Be skeptical of unsolicited calls, emails, or texts—especially those involving threats or demands for payment.
- Never provide personal or financial information to unknown callers.
- Hang up on anyone who pressures you or makes you feel uncomfortable.
- If in doubt, verify any legal claims directly with the court or appropriate law enforcement agency.
Anyone who believes they’ve been targeted or victimized by this scam is urged to report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
