A call or voicemail claiming a 'process server' or 'courier' has legal or court documents for you — and pressing you to confirm your address or SSN, or pay to stop it — is a common scare tactic. Paste any document you got for a read.
Real process servers deliver documents in person or by an approved method — they don't call ahead demanding you verify your SSN, or pay money to 'release' the papers or avoid a lawsuit. The call is engineered to make a lawsuit feel imminent so you hand over personal data or a payment, and it's often paired with a fake debt or a made-up case number.
Don't confirm personal details or pay anything. Ask for the company name, the case, and the court — a scammer usually can't give verifiable specifics. Then independently look up the named court and call it to check whether any case actually exists. Report the call to the FTC and your state attorney general.
Some may call to arrange a handoff, but a real server won't demand your SSN, threaten arrest, or ask for payment to 'release' documents. Those are scam tells — verify any case with the court directly before sharing anything.
Generally you must be properly served for a case to move forward, and a real summons has a court name, case number, and deadline. A phone-only 'process server' demanding payment is not valid service — confirm with the court yourself.
This guidance is compiled from official U.S. government sources. For your specific situation, verify directly:
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. How we check & who's behind this →