King County District Court Scam

Common Scams

• Fake Court Notices: People are receiving "highly sophisticated" and official-looking hearing notices via email and text. These often include QR codes that lead to malicious captcha pages used to steal information.
• Missed Jury Duty & Warrants: Scammers call victims claiming they missed jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for their arrest. They demand immediate payment—often hundreds or thousands of dollars—to "clear" the warrant.
• Traffic Ticket Phishing: Text messages claim you have unpaid vehicle toll violations or traffic citations that must be paid immediately to avoid license cancellation.
• Spoofed Caller ID: Criminals use technology to make their calls appear as if they are coming from legitimate court numbers, such as (206) 296-3311 or (206) 477-1400.

Red Flags

• Immediate Payment Demands: The court or Sheriff’s Office will never ask for payment over the phone, especially via Zelle, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
• Threats of Arrest: Official agencies do not call in advance to warn you of an impending arrest or offer to "negotiate" your way out of one.
• Tickets via Text: King County District Court does not send tickets or court summons via text message.

Take Action

1. Verify Directly: If you receive a suspicious notice or call, hang up and contact the court directly using an official number.
   • King County District Court: (206) 205-9200
   • King County Superior Court: (206) 477-1320
2. Check for Tickets: Use the official King County Case Access Resources to see if you actually have any outstanding citations.
3. Report the Incident:
   • File an online report with the King County Sheriff’s Office.
   • Submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).