The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana occasionally receives reports from victims or law enforcement agencies regarding potential scams.  The scams below have been identified as nationwide scams related to the work of the federal courts. If you have received a call, text, or email similar to the scams described below, hang up or delete the message immediately. 

Here are some tips on things to remember and what to do if you are contacted by anyone claiming to be a law enforcement officer or court official:

• Only scammers will call, text, or email demanding that you pay by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, or a wire transfer service. No court official or law enforcement officer will ever make such a demand.
• Real law enforcement and real court officials will never demand that you pay fines by phone.
• Real law enforcement and real court officials will never call to say you’re going to be arrested (or threaten to arrest you if you hang up).
• Do not divulge personal information or financial information to unknown callers, including those who claim to work for the government.
• A fine will never be imposed until after an individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain a failure to appear. 

If you have been a victim of a scam, you can report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission via their Online Scam Complaint Portal at:  https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you have any questions or concerns that a message you have received might be a scam you can contact the Southern District of Indiana Clerk's Office at (317)-229-3700. 

Central Violations Bureau (CVB) Scam:

A fake website is currently impersonating www.cvb.uscourts.gov.  This fake website is fraudulent and has been set up by scammers to collect personal or financial information fraudulently. The only official website for paying a U.S. District Court Violation Notice is www.cvb.uscourts.gov. If you are paying a Central Violations Bureau ticket online, please verify the web address carefully.  Alternatively, you may pay a ticket over the phone or by calling the CVB at 800-827-2982.

You can report suspicious communications related  to the Central Violations Bureau (CVB) by contacting the CVB at 800-827-2982 or info@cvb.uscourts.gov.

Jury Service Scam:

Courts never require past or prospective jurors to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call or by e-mail.  Courts also never contact jurors or prospective jurors by phone, text, or email and demand payment of a fine or threaten arrest for failure to appear. Sometimes these communications spoof real government numbers and/or use the names of real public officials (including judges) – it is still a scam, and you should hang up or delete the communication immediately. 

Learn more via the U.S. District Court Warns of Scam Phone Calls Press Release....

This is a scam. A court will never call, text, or email someone and request sensitive financial information or demand a payment. If you receive such a communication, hang up or delete the communication immediately. Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of such a scam may report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.

"Outstanding Warrant" / "Contempt of Court" Scam:  

Scammers are posing as local law enforcement officials and calling or emailing potential victims, falsely claiming that the person has an outstanding warrant or has been held in contempt of court.  Sometimes the scammers target professionals—in particular, attorneys or health care providers—and accuse them of allegedly failing to appear as an expert witness at a court hearing or trial. Additional information about this scam is available on the FTC's website.
  
Recipients of such calls and emails are told they can pay a fine to have the outstanding warrant expunged or avoid arrest. Using threats and scare tactics, the scammers then entice their victim to pay this "fine" with cash cards or other electronic payment. The scammers often spoof real government phone numbers and provide their victim with the names of real law enforcement officers, real court officials, and real judges.  

This is a scam. Real courts and real law enforcement officers will never call or email someone and demand a payment for any reason. If you receive such a call or email, hang up or delete immediately.

Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of such a scam are encouraged to report the incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center ("IC3") at https://www.ic3.gov, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Traffic Ticket Scam:

Members of the public in the Southern District of Indiana are receiving text messages which purport to be from the "Indiana District Court" regarding an overdue traffic ticket (see sample image of a scam text message below). These texts are a scam. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana does not call or send texts alerting anyone to the possible issuance of a warrant or to requests fines, fees or court costs, including traffic tickets. If you receive this type of text DO NOT click on the link and delete the text immediately.

Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of such a scam are encouraged to report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.