Executive Summary
- Scammers are impersonating US Marshals and court officers to extort money via fake arrest warrants.
- Fraudsters use spoofed phone numbers and emailed documents with forged judges’ signatures to appear legitimate.
- The US Marshals Service confirmed they never request payments via wire transfer, gift cards, or Bitcoin.
- Authorities advise the public to verify claims by contacting the District Court Clerk directly.
SEATTLE — The United States Marshals Service (USMS) for the Western District of Washington has issued an urgent public warning regarding a resurgence of fraudulent schemes in which perpetrators impersonate federal officers to extort money from civilians. According to a news release issued by the Department of Justice on January 5, scammers are utilizing sophisticated tactics, including forged documents and spoofed phone numbers, to convince victims they face immediate arrest for outstanding warrants.
Federal authorities report that the fraudsters frequently contact individuals via telephone or email, claiming the recipient has missed federal jury duty or failed to respond to a subpoena. To lend credibility to the deception, these actors often provide specific badge numbers, case numbers, and the names of actual federal judges or law enforcement officials. In recent incidents documented by the USMS, victims have received emailed documents that appear to be valid arrest warrants, complete with case numbers and forged signatures of active judges.
According to the USMS, a common characteristic of these fraudulent warrants is a section titled “Did you know,” which falsely instructs the recipient that fines can be resolved through cryptocurrency transactions. The scammers aim to collect payments via wire transfers, prepaid debit cards, or Bitcoin, often keeping victims on the phone while demanding the reading of card numbers. The agency noted that perpetrators may also use caller ID spoofing technology to make calls appear as though they are originating directly from a courthouse or government agency.
“If called by or emailed by an unknown person claiming there is a warrant for arrest related to missed federal jury duty, subpoena, or other offenses, do not make any payments to them,” the USMS stated in the release, emphasizing that federal agencies never request payment of fines over the telephone or via cryptocurrency.
Fraud Prevention and Public Safety
This alert highlights a persistent operational challenge for federal law enforcement as scammers increasingly leverage digital tools to mimic official authority. The integration of cryptocurrency demands into these schemes presents a significant hurdle for asset recovery, as such transactions are often irreversible and difficult to trace. The Department of Justice emphasizes that authentication is the primary defense against these imposter scams; individuals can verify the legitimacy of any contact by directly calling the USMS or the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. District Court using publicly listed numbers, rather than those provided by the caller. Victims are urged to report incidents to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to assist in tracking fraud patterns.
