On November 28, 2017, Chief U.S. District Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson and U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler warned the public of a nationwide scam in which individuals pose as government officials and claim the victim is about to be arrested for failing to appear for jury duty, failing to pay an IRS penalty, or defaulting on a legal or contractual obligation. Individuals are told that they can avoid arrest by paying a fine. The contact may be via telephone, email, or written correspondence. The Southern District of Indiana has become aware that in an attempt to make the scam more convincing, perpetrators are using the names of real government officials, including the name of Clerk Laura Briggs. Also, in some cases, the scammers are “spoofing” real courthouse phone numbers, making it appear as though the call is coming from the courthouse. Please be advised that the U.S. Courts do not operate in this way. Federal Court officials will never call or e-mail a member of the public to demand payment. Anyone receiving such a phone call or e-mail is welcome to call the District Court Clerk’s Office at 317-229-3700 to verify that the attempt to collect payment is a scam. The full press release is linked below.
