AKRON, Ohio — Summit County officials are on high alert after a recent surge of scam calls centered around jury duty.
They say crooks are calling victims and posing as Summit County Sheriff's Office Deputies.
The scammers will typically intimidate and threaten the victims, claiming they missed jury duty and must pay a fee immediately to stay out of jail.
In some instances, the scammers will demand payment through Bitcoin or with a gift card.
They even go as far as showing graphics on judges who accept cryptocurrencies.
What's even more concerning is the number they're calling from shows up as the Sheriff's Office on caller ID, due to technology.
"This is a very sophisticated scam. They are calling from a spoofed number from a 643 Exchange," said Greta Johnson, Director of Communications for Summit County.
Some folks have already fallen victim.
"Last week I heard from a local police officer that a resident had been really swindled out of several thousand with the same type of setup, had been contacted, told she had failed to appear for jury duty and was encouraged and really demanded to wire money," said Johnson.
County leaders say the Sheriff's Office does not ever call about warrants, fines or a jury summons.
You will never be contacted by phone about jury duty.
Government agencies never accept a payment through cryptocurrency or gift cards.
Officials say unfortunately recovering lost funds is very challenging because the scam is so sophisticated and often done overseas.
If you get a call, do not give out any information.
Hang up immediately and call the Sheriff's Dispatch at 330-643-2181.
