Arrest Warrant Robocalls
698 reported numbers use this tactic across our directory. Robocalls and live calls that threaten the listener with imminent arrest unless they pay or comply.
About this tactic
The threat-of-arrest script is the single most common pressure tactic across every government impersonation category we track. It works because it short-circuits the listener's ability to evaluate the call: the body responds to a credible threat of police action with a stress response that suppresses analytical thinking. The actual mechanics differ by category — IRS callers threaten federal arrest for tax debt, SSA callers threaten arrest for "money laundering" tied to a suspended SSN, jury-duty callers claim a warrant has already been issued — but the rhythm is the same. Pay now, by gift card or wire, or face arrest within the hour. No real federal or county agency operates this way; arrests are not negotiable over the phone, and no legitimate official will pressure you to stay on the line.
Why this tactic works on otherwise careful people
The reason this tactic continues to extract money from college-educated, financially literate adults is not that the targets are gullible — it's that the tactic is engineered to bypass the parts of the brain that handle scepticism. Stress hormones rise within seconds of a credible threat, and once they do, the analytical capacity that would normally catch the scam is offline for several minutes. Scammers know this and structure their calls to maintain that pressure for as long as possible: rapid-fire questions, no time to think, transfers to "supervisors" that recreate the urgency every couple of minutes. The single most reliable defense is to break the rhythm — say "I'll call you back" and hang up. Almost no real official will object.
What to do during the call
- Don't engage with the script. Even "wait, who is this again?" gives the scammer something to work with.
- Don't confirm any personal information — not your address, not your date of birth, not the last four of your SSN.
- End the call. If you're worried it might be real, hang up and call the agency back at the official number from its website or your most recent paper notice.
- Add the number to ScamDialer if it isn't already listed.