The Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida has warned of a recent scam it has become aware of. Fraudsters will target people with open court cases and pretend to be someone else, such as someone from the clerk’s office, someone from the court, or possibly even someone else. They will reference information found in the court filings to make the victim believe that the request is genuine. Under this false pretense, the scammer will ask the person to pay money for a court fee or fine, typically through a service like Venmo or Zelle, or via cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin.
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida advises:
No one from the Court, the Clerk’s Office, or law enforcement will ever call you on the phone and ask you to pay a fine or fee for anything.
If you receive a call like this, hang up and verify the information through your attorney’s office, the Clerk’s Office in the county in which your case is filed or contact Court Administration at the following numbers:
- DeSoto County – (863) 993-4644
- Manatee County – (941) 749-3655
- Sarasota County – (941) 861-7800
