On Tuesday, a criminal convinced a woman to deposit thousands of dollars in an ATM at the county treasurer's office.
An imposter claiming to be an Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputy claimed this woman missed jury duty, said there were charges against her and the way to clear things up was to pay $2,000 and speak to a judge later to get her money back.
Also this week, the wife of an Audacy Pittsburgh coworker got a call about missing jury duty. The so-called officer told her to come to the courthouse and when she refused he threatened to have her arrested. That’s where the call ended.
While the outcomes of the calls are different, the con is the same: putting someone in a state of panic.
If you have a relative who could become a target, tell them what to be prepared for: Scammers will create a sense of urgency with threats requiring immediate action. And they will demand payment by unusual means like gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps like Venmo.
Finally, don’t forget the Sheriff’s Office will never demand payment by phone, or by an unusual method.
