Lorain County Sheriff’s Office warns residents of jury duty scam

LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning Wednesday due to an ongoing phone scam that’s targeting local residents.

The scam caller identifies themselves as a member of the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.

Then the scammer tells the resident they missed their scheduled jury duty assignment and have to pay a fine to have a warrant removed for their arrest.

The post said the resident is told to purchase gift cards, stay on the phone and read the gift card numbers aloud.

The sheriff’s office said this is a scam and no law enforcement agency will ever request you pay a fine by phone or gift cards.

They also said the scammer’s phone number may match the real number for the sheriff’s office or police department. Scammers can spoof the number to appear legitimate, the post said.

Copyright 2021 WOIO. All rights reserved.