Summit County sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported fraud in Pinebrook on Friday.
The complainant told the Sheriff’s Office an unknown man had called her and identified himself as a Sheriff’s Office employee. The man said the victim had an outstanding arrest warrant because she had missed jury duty and claimed she would need to send him money to resolve the warrant.
The victim transferred $1,000 to the unidentified caller, but then began to suspect the incident was fraudulent and contacted the Sheriff’s Office herself.
“The Summit County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind everyone that no law enforcement agency operates in this manner,” said Skyler Talbot with the Sheriff’s Office on Monday. “We will never call you to inform you of a warrant or demand money to resolve it. These criminals often use fear tactics to convince victims to send money. Additionally, they may use ‘spoofing’ technology to make it appear as though they are calling from the Sheriff’s Office phone number. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be law enforcement and stating that you have an arrest warrant and need to send money, hang up immediately. You can always contact the Sheriff’s Office directly to confirm whether the call was legitimate.”
The Pinebrook case is still under investigation.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to other calls between Monday, Jan. 6, and Sunday, Jan. 12, including theft and driving and under the influence.
Friday, Jan. 10
A U.S. Postal Service courier reported a theft in the Bridge Hollow area. He left a package near unsecured mailboxes while delivering mail, and an unknown suspect picked up the package. The suspect left the area in a black GMC Denali pickup truck, according to a shift report. The courier did not have any further details, and deputies closed the case “due to lack of viable leads and lack of suspect information.”
Deputies stopped to assist a vehicle that had pulled onto the right shoulder of westbound Interstate 80 near Kimball Junction. As deputies spoke to the driver, they discovered the driver was alcohol restricted. The driver agreed to a breath test, which detected “a measurable amount of alcohol.” The driver was arrested and booked into the Summit County Jail.