CLEVELAND — The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs is warning residents about a new round of imposter scams hitting the area.
Arrest and court scams were the most-complained-about category of scams reported in Cuyahoga County in 2018, according to release from the department.
Over the weekend, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department received multiple complaints about imposter calls in which scammers identified themselves as deputies.
When a Sheriff's Department employee dialed one number reported by a resident, the scammer actually answered by saying, "Cuyahoga County Sheriff."
In these scams, callers posing as police or court officials tell potential victims they missed a court date and threaten them with immediate arrest or account seizure unless they pay a fine, the release states.
Some scammers may initially tell people to go to the Justice Center to pay, but when victims call back as instructed, they ultimately are told to pay using retail gift cards or money wires—forms of payment that government agencies do not accept, according to the release.
If you think you have been scammed by an imposter, click here.
