Jury duty scams have been making a strong comeback across the U.S., targeting people’s fear of legal trouble to trick them into paying fake fines or sharing personal data. The scam typically begins with a phone call, text, or email from someone posing as a police officer or court official claiming you’ve missed jury duty. The scammer threatens arrest or additional penalties unless you make immediate payment—often through gift cards, cryptocurrency ATMs, or credit card transactions.

To make the call appear authentic, scammers use caller ID spoofing to display official-looking numbers from law enforcement or court offices. Some even send follow-up emails with fake case numbers or forged documents. Once they gain your trust, they ask for personal details like your Social Security number, which can then be used to commit identity theft. Recent warnings from law enforcement, such as the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office in West Virginia, emphasize that no legitimate authority will ever request payment or personal information over the phone.