WARNING: Fraudulent Notice of Electronic Filings (NEFs)
The court has recently received reports about fake Notice of Electronic Filings (NEFs) being sent to attorneys and law firms. These fraudulent NEFs attempt to persuade recipients to respond to the sender. If they do, a follow-up email containing a link to a malicious website may be sent.
Please exercise caution if you receive these fake NEFs. Always confirm cases and case documents through the court’s CM/ECF. Avoid downloading any attached documents or clicking on links from unofficial sources.
WARNING: Scam Phone Calls Impersonating the Court's Phone Numbers and Fraudulent Mailings
The United States District Court and the United States Marshals Service have recently been made aware of various fraudulent phone calls that appear to be coming from our court's office phone numbers and mailings, all purported to be from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The callers were not from this court but instead spoofed the court's number in the caller ID. Call recipients were told a warrant was out for their arrest because they failed to show up for jury duty and that they needed to pay a fine to get the warrant lifted.
Please note that the District Court will ALWAYS initiate contact with the public via the United States Postal Service. Additionally, federal courts do not require anyone to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call or via e-mail. If you have not previously had contact from the Court via mail, but you have received any of the following: (1) a call regarding fines for failure to appear, (2) an email that you have been selected for jury duty, or (3) text messages regarding jury duty, please disregard as these are all SCAMS.
The U.S. Marshals Service urges the public not to divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers, even if they sound legitimate. If you believe you may have been a victim of one of these calls, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local law enforcement department, the local U.S. Marshals Service, or FBI office. For additional information regarding possible scams, please see U.S. Marshals, FBI Urge Public: Report Phone Scams | U.S. Marshals Service (usmarshals.gov).