Online and telephone scammers have gotten extremely bold. Now they are spoofing United States District court telephone numbers to try to bully innocent citizens into parting with their money. Do not believe it. No one from a court is going to call you about financial arrangements, penalties for missing jury duty, or most anything else.
If you get one of these calls hang up, and then make your own call to the police or email the Federal Trade Commission.
Here's the official warning announcement from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
"Telephone Scam Regarding U.S. District Court’s Identification
The U.S. District Court of New Jersey is advising the public to be on alert for a phone scam that spoofs or fakes the Court's name and telephone number on the recipient’s voicemail and/or caller id. Callers have targeted residents around the region, claiming to be representatives of District Court and demanding monies from victims for bond payments and/or other legal notices. The Court does not call private citizens to threaten or demand money. The public is reminded to never give out personal information to callers that you don't know.
If you have been a recipient of one of these calls, it is recommended that you contact the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov) or, if you are a victim of one of these calls, please file a report with your local police department."
