FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) issued a warning Monday urging residents to be cautious of scams involving fake arrest warrants bearing forged signatures of court personnel and law enforcement officers.

The AOC stated that scammers are sending fraudulent warrants and demanding payment to avoid arrest.

“While such scams are not uncommon or isolated to Kentucky, the forgeries are becoming more sophisticated,” the AOC said. “The fraudulent warrants may display the Kentucky Court of Justice seal, a case number and list various charges, including failure to appear and missed jury duty.”

Recipients of these scams are typically instructed to call a number to settle the matter, provide personal identifying information, wire money or provide gift card numbers. Scammers may even spoof a phone number on caller ID to make the call appear to be from a court facility or another government agency.

The AOC emphasized that a valid arrest warrant would not be served by phone, text or email. Kentucky courts and law enforcement will never demand payment over the phone or request gift card numbers to satisfy an obligation.

To verify legal actions, the AOC advises contacting the Circuit Court Clerk in the county indicated in the communication. Individuals who have been contacted or victimized by scammers should immediately reach out to their local law enforcement agency.