Sheriff's office warns calls are a scam

If you have received a phone call from someone saying you owe money because you missed jury duty or have outstanding citations, you may have been targeted by a scammer, warns Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.

Dart said the caller tells targets they must pay money to rectify the situation.

The caller then states that if the victim makes a payment using Zelle - a money transfer app - the victim can be assigned a judge who can hear the case.

An email address is then provided to the victim to send the payment.

Dart said the caller uses the name of an actual sheriff's office employee, so an internet search may make it appear the call is legitimate.

But, he said, this is a scam. The sheriff's office never calls to ask for payments to be made over the phone.

Those who believe they have fallen victim to this scam should call sheriff's investigation section at (708) 865-4896 or the sheriff's nonemergency number at (847) 635-1188.