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What to do if…
a message claiming to be from police or a court demands immediate payment

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Do not pay, reply, click a link, or call a number supplied in the message. End the contact and verify the claim independently using contact details published on the court or police department’s official website.

Do not do these things

  • Do not send cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payments through an app.
  • Do not provide your Social Security number, bank details, card numbers, passwords, verification codes, or photographs of identification.
  • Do not treat caller ID, an official-looking seal, a badge number, a case number, or personal information about you as proof that the message is genuine.
  • Do not let the sender keep you on the phone while you try to verify the claim.
  • Do not open attachments or use links, telephone numbers, email addresses, or payment portals contained in the message.
  • Do not delete the message until you have saved the details you may need for verification or reporting.

What to do now

  1. Stop communicating with the sender. Hang up or leave the message unanswered, even if they threaten immediate arrest or other consequences.
  2. Save screenshots or copies showing the full message, sender address or number, date, time, claimed officer or court, case number, and payment instructions.
  3. Find the claimed police department or court through its official government website. Avoid sponsored search results and do not use contact details supplied by the sender.
  4. Call the department’s published non-emergency number or the court clerk’s published number. Say that you received a payment demand and ask whether the message and any referenced matter are genuine.
  5. If the claim concerns federal jury service, contact the clerk’s office of the relevant federal district court directly. Federal courts warn that messages threatening prosecution, fines, or jail over jury service while requesting payment or sensitive information are fraudulent.
  6. If you already paid, contact the bank, card issuer, gift-card company, payment app, wire-transfer service, delivery company, or cryptocurrency platform involved immediately. Say that the payment resulted from an impersonation scam and ask what recovery steps are still available, including whether it can be stopped or reversed.
  7. If you disclosed a password, change it and change any other account using the same password. If you disclosed information that could be used for identity theft, use IdentityTheft.gov for situation-specific recovery steps and contact affected financial institutions.
  8. Report the message to the Federal Trade Commission. You can also report cyber-enabled fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and notify local police through a verified non-emergency contact route.
  9. After saving the details and making any needed reports, block the sender and mark the message as spam or phishing where possible.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to hire a lawyer, prepare a detailed legal response, confront the sender, or pay any claimed fine. First confirm whether a real matter exists and protect any money, accounts, or personal information that may be at risk.

Important reassurance

Official-looking details do not prove that a message is genuine. Scammers can use public information, real officials’ names, copied documents, and spoofed caller ID, so ending the contact and checking independently is appropriate.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate steps for stopping contact, verifying the claim, protecting money and information, and reporting the message. A confirmed court matter, warrant, summons, or financial loss may require later help from the relevant court, law-enforcement agency, financial provider, or a qualified attorney.

Important note

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Procedures differ between federal, state, local, and tribal courts and law-enforcement agencies, so rely on information published by the specific official body involved.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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