Realtors in Ohio’s Lucas County are being targeted by a phone scammer who is calling local realtors pretending to be a sheriff’s office captain and demanding thousands of dollars to avoid being arrested for skipping jury duty.
WVTG reports of at least two cases where realtors were contacted by someone claiming to be Captain Jason Crawford of the Lucas County Sheriff’s Department Warrants and Citations Division. The caller insisted the realtors missed jury duty and had to make payments to avoid being arrested.
In one case, the caller demanded two checks, one for $1,300 and another for $1,600. The caller initially demanded the payments be brought to the sheriff’s office while the realtor remained on the phone with him. After the realtor balked at the request, the caller then insisted the funds be deposited at a local Walgreens or CVS. The realtor did not make the payments.
Another realtor said she received a similar call while showing houses, adding one of her clients fell for the scam.
“Wanting me to go and get money from my banking institution, while he stayed on the phone with me, was a huge red flag,” the realtor said.
The Lucas County Clerk’s Office issued a statement that they never contact citizens regarding missed jury duty and never threaten financial penalties if a jury summons is not answered.
Same scam being used in NC. Claiming there was a bench warrant for not showing for jury duty, atttempting to get more information until I asked who was the Judge that signed the order. Put me on hold then gave me the name of a Judge that I knew had passed away in the 1990s. Told the guy as much and that his scam was working this time. I then put the info out to our local Sheriff’s department which they posted an alert on their social media.