Jury Scam Targets Teachers
The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs is warning school employees about a jury duty scam that targets teachers.
A scammer, posing as a sheriff’s deputy, calls a school and asks for a teacher by name. The scammer says the teacher missed jury duty and that an angry judge is about to issue a warrant. The scam is designed to scare teachers into paying a bogus penalty to avoid arrest.
Scammers may instruct teachers to leave their workplace immediately to go to the Justice Center, but this is a ploy to further the scam. Once a teacher is enroute, the scammer directs the victim instead to purchase gift cards or re-loadable cards to pay a penalty.
Consumer Affairs is aware of multiple recent scam calls to Strongsville and Cleveland schools. One teacher lost $2,000 to the scam.
“Jury duty is critical to the operation of our justice system. We appreciate each and every citizen who takes the time to engage in this civic responsibility,” says Administrative and Presiding Judge Brendan Sheehan. “Whether you receive a legitimate summons or not, no one will ever attempt to contact you and demand payment for not serving.”
Consumer Affairs is warning citizens throughout Cuyahoga County that all jury duty arrest calls are scams. If you receive a call like this, you should report it immediately to the Scam Squad at 216-443-SCAM(7226) or online at cuyahogacounty.us/scamsquad.
If you receive a summons for jury duty from the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and have questions about your service, our jury commissioners can be reached by phone at (216) 443-8625 or online at What to Expect During Jury Duty.
