A routine trip to the Allegheny County Courthouse turned into a $2,000 nightmare on Tuesday when a caller posing as a deputy from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office talked a woman into making a cardless deposit at a PNC Bank ATM inside the Treasurer’s Office. The caller claimed she had skipped jury duty, told her she faced misdemeanor charges, then walked her through every step of the transaction. She later reported the loss to the sheriff’s office.
How the scam worked
According to WPXI, the caller insisted the woman had signed paperwork back in May confirming a jury appearance, then claimed she missed a date earlier in the week and now faced misdemeanor charges. The scammer ordered her to head to the PNC ATM in the Treasurer’s Office, rattled off an eight-digit cardless access code and a four-digit case code, and instructed her to punch in the numbers and deposit $2,000. She complied. The incident is now under investigation.
Officials say deputies won't demand payment
In a notice on its website, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office reminded residents that deputies will not call people to discuss missed jury duty, will not ask for money over the phone, and will not send anyone to an ATM, kiosk, gift cards, or payment apps to clear a charge. The office urges anyone who thinks they have been targeted to contact law enforcement and to verify any jury or court issues only through official channels, not via a surprise call from an unfamiliar number.
Not an isolated problem
Authorities say what played out at the courthouse fits neatly into a larger wave of government-impersonation scams that lean on fear and urgency to pry loose cash. Earlier coverage of a March 2025 Ross Township case detailed a victim who sent $8,000 after getting nearly identical jury-duty instructions, and local station WTAE has reported on other residents who lost thousands after they were pushed toward cryptocurrency or ATM payments. Those previous cases highlight why officials keep warning that urgent threats of arrest are a classic tactic to pressure people into handing over money.
What to do if you're targeted
The Federal Trade Commission notes that courts and law enforcement do not demand payment over the phone and advises people to hang up and report suspicious calls at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you have already sent money or made a deposit, contact your bank right away and file a report with local law enforcement; the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office lists the main number on its website for anyone with scam concerns. Officials also stress that you should refuse instructions to deposit cash at an ATM or pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or apps such as Venmo or Zelle.
