🚨 Scammers Are Using Court Records to Target Domestic Violence Survivors

OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT WARNING Report date: September 17, 2026 Scam type: Law-enforcement and court impersonation / targeted payment fraud against domestic violence survivors

What happened

The North Carolina Department of Justice is warning about a particularly disturbing scam targeting domestic violence survivors. Criminals impersonate law-enforcement officers or court officials and contact victims soon after an arrest, court hearing, or court date. The scammers use details connected to the victim’s case to make the call sound authentic and then demand immediate payment.

The Attorney General says the scams have been reported in North Carolina and other parts of the country. In North Carolina cases, officials say there is no definitive evidence showing how the scammers obtained the information, but public court filings and calendars are a likely source. Criminals can compare public district and superior court records, civil calendars, and family-court dockets to identify cases and the people involved.

How the scam works

A scammer calls pretending to be a police officer, sheriff’s deputy, district attorney’s office employee, court official, jail employee, or other authority. Because the criminal may know real details about a domestic-violence case, the call can be unusually convincing.

The caller may falsely claim that the survivor must immediately pay money to post bond for the alleged abuser; that charges will be dismissed unless the survivor pays; that a filing or processing fee is required for a domestic violence protective order; that the survivor must pay for electronic monitoring before an abuser is released; or that a jail shortage could result in the abuser’s release unless money is sent. Scammers may also discourage victims from contacting Family Justice Centers or victim-service organizations by falsely claiming those services cost money.

Who is targeted

The scam specifically targets domestic violence survivors and people connected to domestic-violence cases. Criminals exploit fear, urgency, concern about an abuser’s release, and the survivor’s understandable desire to stay safe. The use of genuine case details can make the impersonation especially dangerous.

Warning signs

• A supposed police officer, prosecutor, court employee, or jail official unexpectedly demands money over the phone. • You are told you must pay to keep an alleged abuser in custody or to pay for electronic monitoring. • Someone claims criminal charges will be dismissed unless you make a payment. • A caller says you must pay a filing or processing fee for a domestic violence protective order. • The caller knows real details about your case and uses them as proof of legitimacy. • You are pressured to pay immediately or discouraged from contacting law enforcement, a crisis hotline, Family Justice Center, or victim advocate.

What consumers should do

Hang up. Do not send money or provide financial information. North Carolina’s Attorney General states that legitimate law-enforcement agencies and district attorneys will not call victims and demand money. A district attorney’s office will not dismiss charges in exchange for payment. Filing a domestic violence protective order is free, and legitimate victim services are available without the kinds of fees described by these scammers.

If a call concerns your safety or a real court case, independently contact local law enforcement, the court, a domestic-violence advocacy organization, Family Justice Center, or crisis hotline using contact information you obtain yourself. Do not call a number supplied by the suspicious caller. North Carolina consumers can also contact the state Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

Why this development matters

This scam represents a dangerous form of highly targeted impersonation. Instead of relying on a generic threat, criminals can use public information about a real domestic-violence case to create a believable story at a moment when the victim may already be under extraordinary stress. A scammer knowing your name, court date, case details, or information about an arrest does not prove that the caller is a legitimate official.

Source

Primary official source: North Carolina Department of Justice — “Attorney General Jeff Jackson Warns North Carolinians of Scams Targeting Domestic Violence Victims,” September 17, 2026. https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-jeff-jackson-warns-north-carolinians-of-scams-targeting-domestic-violence-victims/ Source classification: Official Government Warning.

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