The Administrative Office of the Courts launched a scam alert webpage to help protect Kentuckians from payment scams, including those involving fake arrest warrants and missed jury service.
You can explore the scam alert webpage and check for alerts anytime at kcoj.info/CourtsScamAlert.
The new webpage aims to help the public stay informed of common fraud schemes, offers tools to help citizens protect themselves, and provides an outlet for reporting fraud and getting further assistance. Among the resources on the webpage are a video about tactics criminals use to scam people to get money and personal information, a link to jury service information by county, a fraud fact and tip sheet, and contact information for reporting scams.
According to the site, scams have reached an all-time high in Kentucky.
“One such scam involves fake arrest warrants. In a common version of this scheme, the scammer mails, emails or calls potential victims pretending to be law enforcement and says there is a warrant for their arrest. The scammer demands payment to avoid arrest,” the site says.
It continues, “While such scams are not uncommon or isolated to Kentucky, warrant forgery is becoming more sophisticated. A fraudulent warrant may display the Kentucky Court of Justice seal, a case number and list various charges, often for charges such as failure to appear in court or missed jury service.
The site notes that a valid arrest warrant is never served by phone, text or email.
Officials also warn the public to be alert for jury scams, including those involving calls from people claiming to be court officials or law enforcement officers.
Kentucky Court of Justice personnel will never ask for payment, a credit card number or Social Security number for failure to appear for jury service. Do not provide your bank or credit card information over the phone to anyone claiming to be associated with the court system’s jury program.
If you receive a suspicious call, email, or other communication from someone who claims to be a court employee and requests financial information, contact your local jury office and local law enforcement immediately.
To check court information for legitimacy, contact your local circuit court clerk. To obtain contact information, choose your county from the drop-down menu on the Circuit Court Clerks page.
To check jury service information, choose your county here.
To file a complaint with the state or ask questions, call the Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection at 888-432-9257 or complete a complaint form online.
