The Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida announced on Apr. 7 that residents are being targeted by fraudulent phone calls from individuals claiming to represent the court and demanding payments through services such as Zelle, Venmo, or pre-paid cards.
The warning is important because scammers have used convincing tactics, including referencing real addresses and names of court officials, trustees, and federal judges. The calls may also display spoofed caller IDs that appear to come from legitimate court or government agency numbers.
According to the announcement, “These types of phone calls are not from the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida. You should not provide the caller with any personal information, credit card numbers, pre-paid card numbers, or money.” The court further clarified its procedures: “The Court will never demand payment over the phone. The Court will never request a gift card number verbally or in writing to satisfy an obligation. Any official correspondence will come by mail directly from the Court.” Additionally, fines are only imposed after an individual appears in court and has an opportunity to explain their circumstances; if a fine is issued it is done in open court and reduced to writing—not payable via Zelle or gift card number.
Residents who receive suspicious communications are advised to report them to the U.S. Trustee Program’s Office of Criminal Enforcement using instructions available at https://www.justice.gov/ust/report-suspected-bankruptcy-fraud.
As scams involving impersonation of government agencies continue across various regions, officials urge vigilance when receiving unsolicited requests for payment over the phone.
