Lindsay Lohan served

Lindsay Lohan got a shock when a woman posing an as autograph-seeker instead served her with legal papers on Friday.

The actress was at the 21st Annual American Cinematheque Award Gala honoring George Clooney in Beverly Hills, when on her way out, she was met with the usual throng of fans and photographers – including a legal processor who was there to present Lohan with a subpoena.

"The processor ran up and acted like a fan. She handed her a pen and paper. The pen was a decoy to get her to think she was a fan who wanted an autograph," an observer told PEOPLE on Monday. "When Lindsay took the papers, the processor said loudly, 'You’ve been served.'"

According to the observer, Lohan dropped the papers and attempted to catch up with the processor who left the scene immediately.

"Lohan kept saying 'Wait, wait!' and yelling after her, but the processor kept going. She never caught up with her," said the observer.

Lohan was served with a subpoena to compel the actress to give a deposition in a fraud lawsuit against her mother, Dina Lohan, according to the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, Mitchell Chait and Antonio Almeida.

"Lindsay was served a deposition subpoena because she's a witness in a case in which her mother is a defendant," the attorney, Charles Coate.

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