Fake Court Summons Text Messages (Estafa/Swindling): How to Spot and Report Scams in the Philippines

For educational purposes only; not legal advice. If you’ve already sent money or personal data, consult a lawyer or go to the nearest law-enforcement office immediately.

1) The Big Picture

A surge of SMS messages purporting to be “court summons,” “subpoena,” or “notice of hearing” has targeted the public in the Philippines. These texts typically:

claim you’re a party to a criminal or civil case,
threaten arrest or contempt if you don’t act “today,” and
push you to click a link, call a number, or pay “fees” to avoid supposed legal trouble.

They are scams. Philippine courts do not serve summons or subpoenas by random text message from unknown mobile numbers. Legitimate court processes follow strict rules and come with verifiable case details and official channels.

2) How Real Court Notices Are Served (and Why Texts Are Red Flags)

What’s legitimate

Summons (civil cases) are served personally by a sheriff/process server or through other modes authorized by the court (e.g., substituted service, registered mail, accredited courier), and contain the court name, case number, parties, a signed seal or stamp, and hearing details.
Subpoenas (witness/testimony/documents) issue from a court, prosecutor, or authorized agency and bear signatures, docket references, and instructions. Delivery follows authorized modes (e.g., personal service, registered mail/courier, or officially recorded electronic service where expressly allowed).

What’s suspicious

A plain SMS/Viber from an unknown number claiming to be a “court” without:
- case number,
- exact court branch and location,
- names of parties,
- official email address/landline of the court/prosecutor,
- judge/clerk/prosecutor name and signature,
- and without any prior verified communication or filing history.

If the first contact you ever receive is an SMS link or a demand for money—assume it’s a scam.

3) Common Playbooks Used by Scammers

“Arrest Tonight” urgency: “Warrant will be served at 6 PM unless you settle.” (Arrests are not negotiated by text.)
Deposit/GCash “processing fee”: Pay a “bond,” “dismissal fee,” or “record seal” via e-wallet.
Link to “case portal”: Phishing pages ask for your mobile PINs, OTPs, card details, or e-wallet credentials.
Impersonation: Using names of real judges, fiscals, or clerks but from prepaid numbers or generic email domains.
Document bait: Sending a shortened link to a “PDF summons” that actually installs malware.

4) Applicable Philippine Laws and Liability (Plain-English Overview)

Estafa/Swindling (Art. 315, Revised Penal Code): Deceit + damage (e.g., you paid money because of the false “summons”). Penalties scale with the amount defrauded.
Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175):
- Computer-related fraud and identity theft for phishing, spoofing, or account takeovers.
- Jurisdiction is broad—cases may be filed where any element occurred, where your computer/device is, or where the data passed.
Data Privacy Act (RA 10173): Unauthorized collection/processing or misuse of your personal data.
Access Devices Regulation Act (RA 8484): If they harvest or use your card/banking details.
SIM Registration Act (RA 11934): Requires SIM registration; use of registered SIMs for fraud can support investigations and sanctions. (Scammers may still exploit mule SIMs or identity-fraudulently registered numbers.)

Prosecutors often file estafa with RA 10175 when the deception is executed online, plus other special laws depending on the method (e.g., access device fraud).

5) What To Do the Moment You Receive a “Summons” Text

A. Don’t engage; don’t click

Never click the link, call back, or reply.
Do not provide names, IDs, OTPs, or account numbers.
Put the number on block.

B. Preserve evidence (this is crucial)

Take clear screenshots of the message, sender number, date/time, and any links.
If you accidentally clicked, note what loaded, any forms you filled, and time stamps.
Save transaction proofs if you paid (GCash reference, bank slips, chat logs).
Keep your device unchanged (helpful for forensics).

C. Strengthen your accounts/devices

Update your phone and app OS; run a reputable mobile security scan.
Change passwords and enable MFA/OTP on email, e-wallets, banks, and social networks.
Check e-wallet/bank activity and set up real-time alerts.

6) How to Report (Step-by-Step, PH Context)

Law Enforcement
- PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG): Bring screenshots, numbers, links, loss amount, and ID.
- NBI Cybercrime Division: Similar documentation; they can coordinate takedowns and trace flows.
Your Bank/E-Wallet
- If you sent money, immediately call your bank/e-wallet hotlines for:
  - transaction freeze/recall (time-sensitive, not always guaranteed),
  - account flagging and password resets,
  - incident reference/case number (useful for police and chargeback).
National Privacy Commission (NPC)
- File a complaint or incident report if your personal data was targeted/compromised.
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) / Your Telco
- Report the number and SMS content for blocking.
- Ask how to submit spam samples (some carriers accept screenshots and forward-to-shortcode options).
Department of Justice (DOJ) / Prosecutor’s Office
- If you lost money, prepare to execute:
  - a Complaint-Affidavit (facts, elements of estafa, attached evidence), and
  - Annexes (screenshots, transaction proofs, identification).
- Venue can be where any element occurred (e.g., where you received the deceitful message, where you transferred funds).

Tip: When reporting, bring two printed sets of your evidence plus soft copies on a USB. Label screenshots with dates/times.

7) Building a Strong Complaint Package

Narrative timeline: When the SMS arrived, what it said, your actions (if any), and the loss.
Identity of the sender: Mobile number, display name, any bank/e-wallet details they provided, links/URLs.
Digital evidence: Screenshots, call logs, SMS export, browser history snippet showing the phishing page, device model/OS.
Financial trail: Receipts, transaction IDs, account statements, beneficiary accounts (name/number), chat/email correspondence.
Harm/damages: Amount lost, time spent, emotional distress (for possible civil claims).

8) How to Verify If a Case Against You Is Real

Search your name on the Judiciary e-services or DOCKET portals only if you are certain you are on an official government site (many phishers clone these). When unsure, call the court directly using numbers listed on the official Supreme Court/DOJ/OPA directories—not the numbers in the SMS.
Ask for:
- Case number, branch, party names, exact charge, date filed.
- The sheriff or process server’s name assigned (for summons).
- Official email address where the court will send a scanned copy of the order (upon request and subject to rules).

If they can’t provide these, it’s almost certainly fake.

9) Practical Red-Flag Checklist (Quick Scan)

☐ Unknown prepaid number; no court branch or case number stated
☐ Shortened link (bit.ly, tinyurl) or strange domain
☐ Urgent threat of arrest/bail today
☐ Requests money via GCash/coins.ph “to stop the case”
☐ Poor grammar, odd spacing, or generic titles (“Court of Manila Region”)
☐ Claims to be from “Cyber Court,” “Online Judiciary,” or similar fictitious body
☐ First contact ever about a case arrives by SMS

Any one of these is a strong warning; two or more—treat as a scam.

10) If You Already Paid or Shared Data

Report immediately to PNP-ACG/NBI and your bank/e-wallet. Early reports improve the odds of freezing onward transfers.
File a blotter at your local police station for documentation.
Monitor your credit, bank, and e-wallet accounts; request a credit bureau check if you suspect identity theft.
Consider civil action to recover sums from identified recipients (if traceable) in addition to criminal complaints.

11) Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a judge or clerk message me from a personal mobile number? A: That would be highly irregular. Courts use official channels; if you get such a message, verify independently through the court’s published landline or official email.

Q: Are electronic court notices ever valid? A: Some courts and prosecutors may use official email or accredited e-service for parties in ongoing cases. That still includes proper identifiers, official addresses, and filings—not a random SMS asking for money.

Q: Is threatening me with arrest by text a crime? A: Yes. It can constitute estafa, grave threats (depending on content), and cybercrime offenses, among others.

Q: What if the message includes my full name and address—did the court leak it? A: Not necessarily. Scammers harvest data from breaches, public records, or social media. Report to NPC if you suspect a data privacy incident.

12) Templates You Can Use

A) Bank/E-Wallet Dispute (outline)

Subject: Urgent: Suspected Scam Transfer – Freeze/Recall Request
Body:
- Account holder name & mobile/email
- Transaction ID(s), date/time, amount
- Beneficiary account/name/number
- Statement: “Funds were transferred under fraudulent misrepresentation via fake court summons SMS.”
- Attach screenshots and ID

B) Law-Enforcement Complaint-Affidavit (outline)

Personal details and ID
Chronology (who, what, when, how)
Evidence list (Annexes A–H)
Legal basis invoked (Estafa; RA 10175; others as applicable)
Prayer: investigation, prosecution, asset freeze, subpoena to telcos/banks for KYC and logs
Verification and jurat

C) Telco/NTC Spam Report (outline)

Your number, date/time received
Sender number(s) and message content
Links included
Request: block sender, investigate SIM registration, forward to ACG/NBI

13) Prevention Playbook for You and Your Organization

Block clickable links in SMS at device level where possible; treat all unexpected links as hostile.
Least-privilege on e-wallet and banking apps; separate a “spending” wallet with low balance.
Password hygiene + MFA for email and finances.
Awareness drills: circulate screenshots of known scam formats to family/staff.
Vendor and HR data minimization: share only what’s necessary; audit who can see personal numbers.
Incident runbook: keep hotlines for your bank, e-wallet, telco, PNP-ACG, NBI, NPC in one place.

14) Bottom Line

Courts do not serve first-contact summons by arbitrary text.
Never pay, never click, never share OTPs because of an SMS.
Document, report, and escalate quickly to maximize recovery chances and help enforcement trace the actors.

If you want, share a redacted screenshot of the message you received and the steps you’ve taken so far—I can help you triage next actions and tighten your documentation for reporting.