Thursday, March 11, 2021
The Supreme Court of North Carolina has received reports of North Carolinians getting phone calls that look like they are coming from the Court’s phone number (919-831-5700). These are spoofed calls – scammers are manipulating technology to make it look like you’re getting a call from a person you know or a legitimate business or agency. These scammers are pretending to be court officials and threatening legal action or arrest if you don’t provide personal or financial information.
Legitimate government officials, such as those from the judicial system or the IRS, and law enforcement officers will never call or text you to demand payment or threaten arrest. Scammers are trying to scare you into giving up your information. These high-pressure tactics are meant to make you vulnerable and more likely to give scammers what they want.
Never share personal or financial information or answer a caller’s questions unless you’ve verified who you’re speaking with. You can hang up, look up the agency’s or company’s contact information independently, and then call them directly to make sure the conversation is legitimate.
If you think you or someone you know has been the victim of one of these spoofed calls, please report it to our Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online.