Beware of Scams; They are Widespread
Unfortunately, several telephone and email scams are occurring across the country targeting members of the public, Often, these scammers claim to be law enforcement officials or court employees, and they frequently provide the names of judges, police officers, or other officials to mislead people into thinking the phone call or email is urgent and legitimate. They might even mention a warrant, arrest, case number, court date, or refer to a fine that must be paid immediately. Typically, the calls and emails are threatening in nature, and recipients are encouraged to "pay" money or provide financial information, or else they or a loved one may suffer consequences. These imposters can be quite convincing.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky does not conduct business in this manner. If you receive such a phone call or email, DO NOT SEND MONEY OR PROVIDE PERSONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a communication that purports to pertain to this Court, please call 859-233-2503.
For more information about ongoing scams, please visit https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/news/federal-court-scams.
Jury Scam: Phone Calls
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky has become aware of a telephone scam targeting residents of the District.
In this scam, a caller identifies himself as law enforcement and claims that someone in the household has failed to appear for jury duty and a judge has therefore issued an arrest warrant for them. They are told to appear before the court at a particular date and time or pay a fine via a website or pre-paid/re-loadable money card or provide personal financial information so the fine can be drafted from a bank account.
The Clerk’s Office for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky advises everyone to be cautious of calls that request payment or access to personally identifiable information, regardless of who the caller claims to represent.
If you are contacted, DO NOT send money or provide personal financial information. Please contact the Clerk’s office immediately at 859-233-2503 and report the scam HERE.
Jury Scam: Phishing Emails
A number of district courts around the country have reported that citizens in their districts are being targeted by a juror "phishing" email. "Phishing" scams are attempts by hackers or other unauthorized individuals to get personal information, usually for use in identity theft or other illegal endeavors.
The message some citizens have received today looks convincingly official. It asks the recipient to provide personal information such as social security number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, etc. A PDF form is often attached to the message and recipients are asked to email it back to the originator.
This is not a legitimate message from the United States District Court.
Courts using eJuror, including the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, never request that personal identification information be sent directly in an email response. Any legitimate request by our court for information is initiated by formal written correspondence and includes instructions for a juror participant to be authenticated over a secure connection.
Should you receive a suspicious email like that described above, please do not complete and return it. Instead, contact our Jury Administrator at 800-432-0657 immediately and report the scam HERE.