How to Prepare: Spotting Scams and Fake Legal-Help Offers

A good self-help resource should reduce uncertainty, not create false confidence. This guide focuses on practical preparation, questions to ask, and the limits of general information.

This guide focuses on legal-help scams and is written for people contacted by someone claiming to be a lawyer, court, government agency, process server, debt collector, or legal-help provider. It is designed to help you prepare, find reliable information, and make better use of legal-help resources. It does not tell you what result you should seek in a specific case.

Know the purpose of the appointment or hearing

Write one sentence that answers: “What decision needs to be made today?” That keeps your preparation focused on the issue that matters instead of every disagreement that happened before.

Prepare a short timeline and document index

A one-page timeline and a small, labeled set of records are easier to use than a stack of unsorted papers.

• screenshot or copy of the message
• phone number or email address used
• payment instructions
• website URL
• receipts if money was sent

Practice a three-minute explanation

Use this order: what happened, what document or evidence shows it, what the next deadline is, and what outcome or guidance you are asking for. Avoid interrupting your own explanation with every background detail.

Prepare questions in priority order

If time runs out, you should still get answers to the most important issues.

• Can I verify this person through a state bar, court, or agency website?
• Does the court actually collect money this way?
• Why is immediate payment required?
• Can I call the organization back through its published number?

Plan for the day itself

Confirm location or remote link, arrival time, transportation, childcare, interpreter or accommodation needs, charging cables, and a backup contact method. Save the court or organization phone number somewhere you can access even if your internet fails.

A 30-minute action plan for this issue

1. Write down the next deadline, hearing, appointment, or safety concern that applies to your situation.
2. Slow down before paying, clicking, or sending documents.
3. Put these two items where you can reach them quickly: screenshot or copy of the message; phone number or email address used.
4. Write this question at the top of your notes: Can I verify this person through a state bar, court, or agency website?
5. Choose one starting resource today: FTC consumer scam resources.

Useful starting points

• FTC consumer scam resources
• state attorney general or consumer office
• court clerk using an official number
• legal aid