Riverside Superior Court Warns Public of Fraudulent Letters Impersonating Court Officials

The Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, is warning the public about possible scams involving fraudulent letters, and electronic communications falsely claiming to be issued by the Court.

Recent reports show that people may impersonate judges or court staff to demand money or falsely claim that recipients are entitled to payments such as inheritance funds or “gratuities.” These communications are designed to pressure individuals into providing money or sensitive personal and financial information, often trying to create a sense of urgency to respond quickly.

There are circumstances where the Court does communicate with people regarding payments owed; those communications include verifiable case numbers. The Court does not notify individuals about private inheritance payments, death benefits, or gratuities. 

“Our priority is protecting the public,” said Jason B. Galkin, Court Executive Officer. “If someone contacts you claiming to be from the Court and asks for money or personal information without providing a verifiable case number, we urge the public to verify the legitimacy of the caller or letter independently and report the incident if it is a scam.”

The public is encouraged to:

• Verify the communication is from the Court before providing personal or financial information 
• Verify court-related matters by contacting the Court directly using official contact information or looking up the referenced case number online to confirm validity
• Report suspected scams to local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov

For accurate information, visit the Court’s official website at www.riverside.courts.ca.gov or contact the Media Information office at mediainformation@riverside.courts.ca.gov.