(ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 14, 2015) – The Maryland Judiciary is warning the public about new telephone and email scams that seek to extort money from people by leading them to believe that they are the subjects of legal actions that will be filed if they do not respond within 48 hours.  The new scams, which have been reported in Harford County, involve a caller or email claiming to have a warrant for the arrest of the targeted victim. The scam e-mails often have as an attachment a copy of a purported arrest warrant with what appears to be the signature of a fictitious judge or court official. The caller or email demands a specific amount of money to resolve the matter.
 
Anyone receiving a call or an email that includes statements like: “U.S. Legal Services is pressing charges against you and holding in regards to three serious allegations: 1) violation of federal banking regulations, 2) collateral check fraud, and 3) theft by deception,” should not provide any personal information, credit card or bank information. Anyone receiving such a call should hang up immediately. Anyone receiving an email to this effect should delete it without responding.

The Maryland Judiciary has notified the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office about these scams. People affected by these or other scams may also contact the Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, 410-528-8662 or toll free 888-743-0023, as well as local law enforcement.   

As a general reminder, courts do not call or email people to obtain payments or personal information. Courts do not request credit card or PayPal payments by email or telephone. If you have received a call or email about a court case or a warrant for arrest, contact the District Court or Circuit Court in your jurisdiction. Contact information for each court is available on the Maryland Judiciary website’s courts directory.

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