COOK COUNTY, IL – Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart is warning of a telephone scam where a caller identifying as a Sheriff’s Office employee tells victims they must pay a large fine for missing court or they will go to jail.
The caller tells the victim to pay the fine using a money transfer app such as Zelle or Venmo and warns the victim not to talk to anyone about the matter because there is a gag order.
The name used by the caller matches the name of an actual Sheriff’s Office employee, so an Internet search of the name may make the call appear to be legitimate.
The public should be aware that this is a scam. The Sheriff’s Office does not request payments in this manner, nor does the Office accept any payment via money transfer apps.
Individuals who believe they have been a victim of this scam are asked to call the Sheriff’s Police Investigation Section at 708-865-4896 or the Sheriff’s Police non-emergency number at 847-635-1188.
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