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What to do if…
you are told you must attend an appointment with an official caseworker within 24 hours

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Verify the request through an official contact route that you find independently. Contact the verified office promptly to confirm the details, ask whether attendance is required, and ask what to do if the time is not workable.

Do not do these things

  • Do not follow links or use phone numbers or addresses from an unexpected message until you have independently verified them.
  • Do not send money or payment details in response to an unexpected demand, especially by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment app.
  • Do not share your Social Security number, bank details, passwords, or one-time codes before you have independently verified the person and contact route.
  • Do not ignore the message solely because the notice is short.
  • Do not travel to an address that you have not verified through an official source.
  • Do not discuss the underlying facts of your case during an unverified or rushed contact.

What to do now

  1. Save the message. Keep the text, email, letter, voicemail, or screenshot. Note the claimed agency, the person’s name, the appointment date and time, the address, the callback number, and any case or reference number.
  2. Find an official contact route yourself. Use an official federal, state, county, city, or court website. The USA.gov federal-agency directory, state-and-local-government directory, and court directory can help you find the right office. Do not rely on the displayed caller ID or the contact details in the unexpected message.
  3. Call the main published office number. Ask whether the named person works there and whether the appointment request is real. If the first office cannot confirm it, ask which verified office can.
  4. Ask the verified office for the practical details. Confirm the date, time, address, department, who to ask for, what identification or documents to bring, whether attendance is required, and how to request another time.
  5. If the time is not workable, say so promptly. Ask the verified office what to do next and keep a record of your call, email, or portal message. Provide documents only if the verified office asks for them.
  6. If this relates to an active legal, court, supervision, immigration, or family-services matter, contact your lawyer, advocate, or existing verified case contact if you have one. Ask what the appointment is and whether there may be consequences for missing it.
  7. If law enforcement wants to question you, ask whether the interview is voluntary. Consider getting legal advice before answering questions about the underlying matter.
  8. After verification, plan the visit. Check the route, building entry process, and what the verified office asked you to bring.
  9. If the message appears to be an impersonation scam, stop engaging through the original contact route. Report it through the FTC fraud-reporting portal and consider notifying the real agency that its name is being used.

What can wait

  • You do not need to explain the full history of your case during the first contact.
  • You do not need to gather every document before the office tells you what is needed.
  • You do not need to decide your long-term legal or personal strategy now.
  • You do not need to respond through an unverified number, email address, or link.

Important reassurance

Short notice can feel alarming. A request may be genuine or may be an impersonation attempt, and checking it through an independently found official route is a reasonable first step.

Scope note

These are first steps for handling the immediate message. After verification, later decisions may need help from a lawyer, advocate, or other specialist familiar with the agency and your circumstances.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, financial, therapeutic, or other professional advice. Procedures vary by state, county, court, agency, and individual circumstances.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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