High riskGovernment & Tax

Fake Court Fine Scam

In this scam, a call, email, text, or letter claims you have an unpaid court fine, parking penalty, or speeding fine, and demands immediate payment to avoid arrest or extra charges. The contact often uses official-sounding language, threats, and unusual payment methods such as gift cards, bank transfers, or cryptocurrency. Real courts and enforcement bodies follow formal processes and do not threaten instant arrest over the phone. Pausing to verify any fine through official channels is the safest response.

Quick verdict

Risk level
High risk
Scam type
Legal impersonation scam
Main red flag
You are threatened with immediate arrest over an unpaid fine and pushed to pay at once using gift cards, transfer, or cryptocurrency.
What to do first
Do not pay or share details. Hang up or set the message aside, then check any genuine fine directly through the official court or council using contact details you find independently.

How this scam works

In this scam, a call, email, text, or letter claims you have an unpaid court fine, parking penalty, or speeding fine, and demands immediate payment to avoid arrest or extra charges. The contact often uses official-sounding language, threats, and unusual payment methods such as gift cards, bank transfers, or cryptocurrency. Real courts and enforcement bodies follow formal processes and do not threaten instant arrest over the phone. Pausing to verify any fine through official channels is the safest response.

Government and tax scams impersonate tax authorities, police, or agencies, using threats of arrest, fines, or deportation to force fast payment, often via gift cards, transfers, or crypto. Real agencies do not demand instant payment this way or threaten arrest by phone.

In short, the giveaway is usually simple: You are threatened with immediate arrest over an unpaid fine and pushed to pay at once using gift cards, transfer, or cryptocurrency. Do not pay or share details. Hang up or set the message aside, then check any genuine fine directly through the official court or council using contact details you find independently.

Scammers rotate tactics constantly, the same operation may also run the IRS Tax Scam and the Social Security Scam. See the full Government, Tax & Legal Scams guides hub, or test a suspicious message with the scam checker.

How to spot this scam

  • You are threatened with arrest, a warrant, or extra charges unless you pay within minutes or hours.
  • Payment is demanded by unusual methods such as gift cards, bank transfer to a personal account, or cryptocurrency.
  • The caller pressures you to stay on the line and not hang up, speak to anyone, or seek advice.
  • The contact cannot give clear details of the supposed offence, or the details do not match anything you recognise.
  • An email or text includes a payment link rather than directing you to the official court or council channels.

What the message looks like

Example pattern, not a real report
Example pattern: "This is the Court Enforcement Office. You have an unpaid fine of [amount]. A warrant for your arrest will be issued today unless payment is made within one hour. Press 1 to speak to an officer, or pay immediately at [suspicious link]."

This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.

What gives it away: You are threatened with immediate arrest over an unpaid fine and pushed to pay at once using gift cards, transfer, or cryptocurrency.

The scale of it

$2.7B
reported lost to imposter scams in the US in 2023
Source: US Federal Trade Commission
Gift cards
a top payment method scammers demand, which real agencies never use
Source: FTC Consumer Advice

How to protect yourself

  • Pause and verify independently by contacting the relevant court or council using details from their official website, not the message.
  • End the call if you feel pressured, then check whether any genuine fine exists before doing anything else.
  • Be wary of any demand for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or transfers to a named individual, as these are commonly used in scams.
  • Report the contact to the police non-emergency line or your national fraud reporting service, and warn family who might be targeted.

Already responded? Do this now

  • If you paid by bank transfer, contact your bank immediately to report it and ask whether the payment can be stopped or recalled.
  • If you entered card details on a linked page, tell your card provider so they can block the card and watch for further charges.
  • If you shared personal information, stay alert for follow-up scams and consider monitoring your accounts for unusual activity.
  • Keep any messages, numbers, and payment records, and report the incident to the police and your national fraud reporting service.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Do not pay a fine using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a transfer to a personal account on the strength of a call or message.
  • Do not let threats of arrest rush you into acting before you have verified the claim through official channels.
  • Do not click payment links in unexpected emails or texts claiming to be from a court.

Related scams to know

High risk Government & Tax

IRS Tax Scam

This scam uses a call, voicemail, text, or email pretending to be the IRS or another tax agency, claiming you owe back taxes and threatening arrest, lawsuit, or deportation unless you pay at once by gift card, wire, or crypto.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Government & Tax

Social Security Scam

This scam uses a call, robocall, or voicemail claiming your Social Security number has been 'suspended' over suspicious activity, then pressures you to confirm your number or pay to 'reactivate' it.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Government & Tax

Jury Duty Scam

This scam involves a call, voicemail, or text claiming you missed jury duty and now face a fine or arrest unless you pay immediately, often by gift card or prepaid card. The caller uses fear and urgency to push you into paying before you can check.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Common questions

Would a real court threaten me with arrest by phone?
Courts and enforcement bodies follow formal written processes and do not usually phone to threaten instant arrest unless you pay immediately. A call demanding urgent payment to avoid arrest is a common sign of a scam.
How do I know if I actually have an unpaid fine?
Contact the relevant court or council directly using details you find from their official website or correspondence you already trust. They can confirm whether any genuine fine exists without you relying on the suspicious contact.
They knew my name and address. Doesn't that make it genuine?
Not necessarily. Names and addresses can come from data breaches or public sources, and scammers use these details to sound convincing. Verifying through official channels is still the safer approach.
Why do they ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency?
These payment methods are hard to trace and difficult to reverse, which is why scammers favour them. Genuine fines are not settled this way, so such a request is a strong warning sign.

Last reviewed June 2026 · Written & reviewed by the

Disclaimer: This page provides educational information only to help you recognise common scam patterns. It is not legal, financial, cybersecurity, or law enforcement advice, and it does not confirm whether any specific message, company, or person is genuine or fraudulent. When in doubt, contact the official organisation directly and report concerns to your local authorities.