KEY WEST, Fla. – Authorities alerted Florida residents Wednesday about a new scam involving fake letters that appear to be from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The letters claim that a bench warrant has been issued “due to a failure to respond to a jury summons,” according to investigators.
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Authorities said the scam involves letters sent in priority mail envelopes, using real names of officials like Chief United States District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga, Court Administrator Angela E. Noble and falsely citing Dennis Ward, the State Attorney of Monroe County.
These letters also include a fake case number and reference a fictitious law concerning fines and jail time for not responding to a jury summons, authorities said.
According to investigators, the letters threaten arrest and fines unless immediate action is taken, but authorities emphasize this is a scam.
Detectives said legitimate agencies do not send such letters by priority mail or demand payments by phone.
“The fraudulent letters contain fake contact numbers such as “305-MIS-JURY” and “888-PAY-JURY,” urging recipients to call for further action,” authorities wrote in a news release on Wednesday.
Here are some tips they say residents can use to identify this scam:
- Official agencies do not demand immediate payment: Genuine courts or law enforcement agencies do not request immediate action or payment over the phone.
- Fake contact numbers: Do not call the numbers listed; they are part of the scam.
- False legal information: The letters contain fabricated case numbers and misrepresent legal statutes.
- Look for errors: Scammers often make spelling and grammar mistakes in their letters.
Residents are advised to be vigilant and report any suspicious letters to local authorities or click here for more information.