Hawai‘i State Judiciary warns of jury duty scams

The Hawai‘i State Judiciary is warning the public to be on alert for jury duty scams.

This warning comes as the Judiciary has mailed out 330,000 jury questionnaires to residents statewide this week for potential jury service in 2026.

“By law, Hawaiʻi residents must respond to jury questionnaires, according to a press release from Hawai‘i State Judiciary. “However, scammers may try to exploit this legitimate process by impersonating court officials or law enforcement officers and claiming you have an outstanding warrant for failing to appear for jury duty.”

Victims are then pressured to pay a “fine” immediately to avoid arrest.

These scams can be convincing because perpetrators often use the names of real officials, provide actual court addresses, or manipulate caller ID to make it appear the call is coming from a government agency, the Judiciary stated. In some cases, scammers may even have personal details about the intended victim, such as their name, address, or date of birth.

Important facts to remember:

• The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary does not call, email, or text to demand payment or personal information for jury-related matters.
• All official jury service communications are sent through the U.S. Postal Service, unless you have contacted the Judiciary first with a specific question.

The courts and law enforcement will never:

• Ask for your Social Security number, credit/debit card details, or bank account information over the phone or by email.
• Demand immediate payment via pre-paid debit cards, gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or online payment apps to avoid arrest or jail.
• Instruct you to meet at a courthouse, police station, or other location to make a payment.

The best way to protect against scammers is by hanging up immediately if you receive a suspicious jury duty–related phone call. Do not answer questions or press any numbers.
Delete suspicious emails or text messages claiming to be from the Judiciary if you did not contact us first.

Do not click on links, open attachments, or reply.

Do not trust caller ID. According to the judiciary, scammers can “spoof” legitimate phone numbers to make their calls look official. Contact the Judiciary directly using the phone numbers listed on the Judiciary’s official website if you have questions about jury service.

If you believe you are in danger or have been threatened by a scammer, call 911. If you have given personal information or sent money to a scammer, report the incident to your local police department and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

For more information about jury duty scams, visit the “scam alerts” page on the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary website.