Junk Mail Magic

Set aside a court-looking letter for independent verification

Take any court-looking letter out of the advertising pile and keep it. An odd design or an unfamiliar sender is not a reason to throw it away. Look up the court named on the letter yourself and check the notice with that court's clerk.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated .

Confirm the notice with the court itself

  1. Keep the letter and envelope together. Write down the court name, any case or reference number and any date the letter gives.
  2. Look up that court's website or clerk's office yourself. Do not use a phone number, email address or link that appears in the letter.
  3. Ask the clerk whether the court sent a notice matching yours. Give only what they need to identify it.
  4. Record who answered and what they said. If the court did not send the letter, keep it and the envelope in case you report it.

Federal, state and local courts each have their own clerk

The U.S. Courts guidance on juror scams tells people to verify suspicious communications with the court clerk using contact details they found independently. That guidance covers federal courts. A state or local court has its own clerk and its own contact route, so look up the exact court named on your letter.

Treat any response date as real until the court has confirmed or denied the notice. If the clerk says the court did not send it, you can report suspected mail fraud to the Postal Inspection Service. If you are unsure of the answer, ask the clerk what to do next.

Private court-letter worksheet

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

Date received: [date] Court named on the letter: [court] Case or reference number: [number] Date or deadline stated: [date] Planned call date: [date] Court contact I found independently: [phone or website] Date I contacted the clerk: [date] Clerk's answer: [notes] Next step: [action]

Make the clerk call well before any stated date

Write the date you plan to call on the worksheet, and choose a day well ahead of any date in the letter to appear or respond. Keep the court contact details you used with the letter so you have a record of what you checked and when.

Official sources

Verify a jury-related letter through the courtVerify a debt letter before calling it junk mailVerify a number printed on unfamiliar mailChoose between mail-fraud and delivery support routesKeep important mailAll practical mail guides

Keep personal records with the organization that handles them

Junk Mail Magic is for ordinary unwanted advertising. Use the official contact route in this guide for records, account changes or someone else’s correspondence.

Compare removal routes