The FBI is warning of a scam in which people are presented with a fraudulent federal warrant and asked to pay fines to clear it up.

In a recent case in Wyoming, the targeted victim received a copy of a warrant via text message, saying there was a warrant for her arrest because she failed to appear as a prospective juror.

The warrant on the face appears to be a legitimate document, with a case number, date stamp, seal of the United States District Court for Wyoming and a judge’s signature. But this is a scam.

A federal officer will serve a federal warrant in person, or you might receive it by certified mail. You will NEVER receive a copy of a federal warrant via regular U.S. mail, and especially not via email or via text.

One victim in Wyoming followed instructions received via the scam text and lost more than $10,000.

The FBI reminds the public to be vigilant and never share personal identifying information with a caller with whom you have not initiated contact or have not verified as legitimate. To check out someone who purports to be from the FBI, find the phone number of the local FBI field office and call that number directly. The field office will verify any legitimate contact.

You can do the same with other federal law enforcement agencies.

If you have questions about the validity of an arrest warrant, call the clerk of court for the court identified on the warrant. They can verify if the warrant is legitimate.

Also know that no government agency at any level will ask you to pay in gift cards, gold, or cryptocurrency.

If you think you have been a victim of this scam, report it at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.