Phone Spoofing Continues on Fed Level

Important Public Notice The Clerk’s Office for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee has been alerted to a malicious scam being perpetrated by currently unidentified individuals using a technique referred to as telephone “spoofing.” Calls have been made to targeted individuals that purport to be from telephone number 901-495-1200, which is the general number for the Clerk's

Office in Memphis. These calls are, in fact, not being made from the Clerk’s Office. The perpetrator making these calls informs the recipient that an arrest warrant will be issued if they do not wire money to pay a fine for violation of some law. Some individuals have been told to go to the U.S. Marshal’s Office to pay their fines.

One individual, who happened to be an immigrant, appeared at the Clerk’s Office after being informed that if he did not pay at least $1,000, he would be deported. Instead of wiring the money, he came to the Clerk’s Office to pay the money in person. All of these calls are fictitious. None emanated from the U.S. District Court’s Clerk’s Office despite the Clerk’s Office general number (901-495-1200) appearing on the caller ID. This malicious scam has terrified some victims because of threats of being arrested or deported. Hopefully no one receiving these calls has actually wired any funds. Please be advised that the Clerk’s Office will never request payments through telephone calls.

Any request for paying fines, victim restitution, court costs or other charges will always be made in writing sent by ordinary mail or, in some cases, email. No request for payment will ever be made by telephone. Anyone receiving these sorts of fictitious calls should immediately call the Clerk’s Office general number (901-495-1200 in Memphis or 731-421-9200 in Jackson) for assistance. In no event should money be wired or otherwise paid to anyone based on one of these calls. This matter has been referred to the U.S. Marshal for further investigation and appropriate legal action.

Thomas M. Gould

Clerk of Court

June 1, 2018