HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — An elaborate scam circulating North Alabama is designed to make you think you’re going to jail, but really, someone is trying to steal thousands of dollars from your bank account.

First, you receive what appears to be a real arrest warrant. Then, you get a phone call telling you to meet someone and pay them so you will not be arrested.

The scammers may tell you to meet them at a convenience store or gas station. Sometimes the location appears more legitimate, like outside of a police department or county courthouse. Never agree to meet and pay a person based on a phone call or something you receive in the mail.

Scammers make the situation feel urgent, and they may involve documents most people are unfamiliar with, like warrants.

“They prey on peoples’ fear, I think,” Madison County District Judge Ron Smith said. “People get fearful, and then, they’re telling them here’s a solution. You just need to get someone to come meet me and pay me, and that’ll take care of it all.”

The fake warrant in this case claimed the person who received it missed jury duty, but another similar scam may say you didn’t pay a parking ticket.

Smith said the imitation document appears real. The warrant includes a Madison County judge’s signature, a seal and an arresting officer. It lists that the recipient’s bond is set at $25,000.

“Everything looks to be above board,” Smith said. “The only thing that would indicate that it might not be legitimate is just one little minor detail.”

Smith pointed out an FDIC logo. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation may be relevant when dealing with a bank, but the organization has nothing to do with issuing warrants.

Furthermore, Smith said the punishment does not fit the crime of which the scammer accuses.

“They’re not going to issue a warrant for your arrest,” Smith said. “It’s not going to include somebody calling you on your personal cell phone and saying meet me at a gas station.”

Police do not send warrants out through the mail. Smith said you should ask questions if you are ever suspicious of something you are told through the mail or on the phone. You can call your county courthouse, local police department or a lawyer.

If you would like to report a scam to the Better Business Bureau, click here.