Fake "Washoe County" Court Case and Warrant Calls
Category
Phone and Impersonation
Affects
Residents
Status
Ongoing
Source
Community reported
Reno residents report repeated calls from people who say the resident is wanted by "Washoe County" over a made-up court case. The callers skip every real legal step and usually claim they tried to reach you at your address but the message could not be delivered. One resident who pushed back by asking why legal notices were not sent by certified mail was hung up on, and about 30 minutes later the same caller phoned the resident's grandmother with the same story. The Second Judicial District Court and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office have both warned about scammers posing as court staff and deputies who demand payment to avoid arrest.
How it works
- A call, voicemail, or text says you are wanted or have a court matter with "Washoe County," often with a made-up case and no real case details.
- The caller says they tried to contact you or serve you at your address and could not, which is meant to make the problem sound already in progress.
- You are pushed to act right away, share personal information, or pay to avoid arrest or penalties. If you hang up or push back, the same scammers may move on to a relative, often an older one.
- Some versions send fake court documents by text or email.
Red flags
- Legal papers are not delivered by phone call, voicemail, or text. Real court matters do not start with a call demanding payment.
- The Second Judicial District Court says it will never unexpectedly text or email official court documents, cannot accept payment by phone, and never asks for personal or financial information by phone.
- The Sheriff's Office says it will never ask for payment by gift cards, crypto, wire transfer, or payment apps, and will not threaten arrest over the phone.
- No case number you can verify, or a case number that court staff cannot find.
- Pressure to act now, plus a story that a message "could not be delivered."
What to do
- Hang up. Do not argue, give any information, or call back the number.
- To check on any real court matter, call the District Court Resource Center at (775) 325-6731, or call the Washoe County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at (775) 785-9276, using numbers you look up yourself.
- Tell parents, grandparents, and other relatives. Scammers often try the same script on an older family member right after.
- Report the call to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and if you lost money, also to local police and ic3.gov.
Already paid or shared information? See the step-by-step checklist and the list of places to report. You can also report to the FTC or the FBI IC3.
Sources
Second Judicial District Court warning on fraudulent court documents (Washoe Life, Dec 2024) · Washoe County Sheriff's Office: warrant phone scams · KTVN Channel 2: Washoe County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scams
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Posted solely for community awareness. This is not an official government or law enforcement notice, and High Sierra Cyber is not affiliated with any agency named here. Board last updated October 10, 2026. Details, phone numbers, and policies change, so confirm with the official agency before acting. Submitted reports are unverified. General information only, not legal or financial advice.