The Court will be closed the following days in observance of Thanksgiving:
Wednesday Nov 27th 2024 - Early Close @ 3pm
Thursday Nov 28th 2024 - Closed all day
Friday Nov 29th 2024 - Closed all day
We'll be back in the office on Monday, Dec 2nd, 2024.
Individuals in financial distress are common targets for scammers. A scam operator calling itself the “Bankruptcy Fraud Watchdog Group” has recently set its sights on consumer debtors, sending letters falsely accusing debtors of failing to disclose assets in their bankruptcy cases. These letters threaten referrals to “the United States Bankruptcy Trustee” for fraud unless the debtors promptly pay “a one-time amnesty fine” of $450 in Bitcoin via a QR code to avoid “further legal consequences.” They also falsely state that debtors who share the letters with their attorneys will face “immediate referral for criminal prosecution.”
As the actual watchdog of the bankruptcy system, the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) identifies and helps investigate allegations of fraud or abuse, including schemes exploiting vulnerable consumers in bankruptcy. Accordingly, debtors should report contacts from the so-called “Bankruptcy Fraud Watchdog Group” or other suspicious communications to the USTP’s bankruptcy fraud hotline or to their local U.S. Trustee office.
Consumer debtors can help protect themselves by looking out for common signs of schemes. For more information on these telltale signs and how to avoid falling victim to a scam, visit the websites of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Trade Commission.
Source: U.S. Trustee Program | U.S. Trustee Program Warns Consumers of Bankruptcy Fraud Alert Scam
The Court will be closed Monday, November 11th, 2024 in observance of Veterans Day. We'll be back in the office on Tuesday, November 12th, 2024.
Nationwide reports indicate that fake Notices of Electronic Filing (NEFs) are being sent to attorneys and law firms in phishing attempts. These fraudulent NEFs aim to prompt recipients to reply, triggering a follow-up email containing a link to a document that leads to a malicious website.
Please exercise caution if you receive an unexpected NEF.
Always verify cases and documentation directly through CM/ECF and avoid downloading attachments or clicking links from any unofficial or suspicious sources.
The Bankruptcy Local Rules Committee has approved for public comment proposed changes to the local rules of practice for the Court. The proposed changes are summarized and available in the PDF linked below:
Proposed Bankruptcy Local Rule Amendments 2024
Any comments should be emailed to: utb_local_rules_comments@utb.uscourts.gov
Comments may also be mailed to:
David Sime, Clerk of Court
Attn: Local Rule Comments
350 S Main St. Room 300
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
You are also encouraged to identify issues or concerns about any of the current local rules, and to make suggestions for amendments to the committee for its consideration.