Scammers claiming to represent the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office are targeting Ross Township residents with a jury duty scam that recently led to an $8,000 loss for one victim. As reported by CBS News, the victim received a call from a number masquerading as the sheriff’s department, informing them of an arrest warrant for failing to appear for jury duty—a notice they had never received.
The scammer directed the victim to send $8,550 in Bitcoin to clear the warrant. In a move that led to the unfortunate transfer of funds, the victim complied and sent the amount through a Bitcoin ATM. Following the transaction, the funds were traced to Binance in France. However, the account recipient remains unidentified. This ongoing investigation has been taken up by the Ross Township Police Department, according to TribLIVE, which emphasizes how difficult it is to resolve these sophisticated scam cases positively.
The Allegheny County Sheriff's Office has made it clear it will never call individuals to serve warrants or request payments over the phone. Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus reminded residents, as mentioned by WTAE, that any such calls are deceptive and that payments for fines or warrants are not processed via electronic transfers, including cryptocurrencies.
If residents receive a call from someone claiming to be from the sheriff’s office asking for money, the advice is clear and urgent: "PLEASE DO NOT HAND OVER ANY MONEY." They are also urged to report the incident immediately to the Investigations Division at (412) 350-4709.
