The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents about an email scam using a phony Grand Jury subpoena. The email appears to be authentic because it contains a court case number, federal code, courtroom number and court seal. The email orders the recipient to appear to testify before a Grand Jury, and when they click on a link in the email, a malicious code is downloaded onto the computer allowing the sender to hack into their computer system.

The Sheriff’s Department says the scam started in California, and although there have been no reports of incidents in the Tucson area, they wanted to give residents a heads-up that such a scam exists.

Courts will never send out an official request by email, and if you receive this type of suspicious email you should report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center by clicking here.