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The scammer says I have a summons and must pay the processing and court fees. They give a fake id number.
I have a friend who legitimately processes summons and told me if I'm
given a summons via email or phone call that says I'm being summoned to court and that their failure to appear would cause the case to be heard without me -- possibly resulting in a default judgment, is a SCAM.
The easiest way to verify if a summons is fake is to contact the court. This is the most efficient option. If the court Summons is real, then it will have had to be processed through the court. They will also have a copy on file. If it is fake, then there is no chance that there is a copy in the courts.
When you arrive at the court clerk, you can give them the name of everyone involved, as well as the docket number printed on the Summons. You should immediately have confirmation of whether or not the case is legitimate. If you do find that it is fake, you should report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
When you receive a fake court Summons via email or phone call then report it. This is illegal in most states. For instance, California Penal Code 527 PC is the California statute that makes it a crime for a person to sell, offer to sell, print, publish or distribute a fake court order. Do not fall victim to a fake debt collectorfight it, report it, and most importantly, do not pay it.