Recognize the pattern
How it starts
Calls, emails or video chats using a sheriff’s office, court or federal agency’s name.
The promise
A funds check will clear your name.
What happens next
Multiple personas and forged papers create authority while isolating you from independent checks.
Signs to watch for
- Demands money in a screening account
- Forbids ending calls or telling family
- Conducts everything in private messaging
Start with what you can do now
If this happened to you
Stop transfers and remote meetings
Give your bank the destination account
Report to your local police
What to save
Keep the original records. Use copies to organize the details.
- Call times and numbers
- Purported official papers
- Meeting and chat records
- Transfer details
Before you send money
- End the contact and look up the court or agency yourself.
- Do not trust caller ID, a badge image or a document sent by the caller.
- Do not send gift cards, crypto or a wire to cancel a supposed warrant.
These guides explain common patterns. The facts of your situation and your payment provider’s rules determine which steps are available.