Cleveland, OH – The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs warns residents about a rash of scam calls in which people are threatened with arrest unless they pay off an outstanding warrant.

Scammers not only pretend to be court officials, they’re now spoofing their numbers so that Caller ID indicates the call is coming from the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts.

The Clerk’s office reports fielding multiple calls a day from residents who were scared into thinking there’s a warrant for their arrest and that only an immediate payment can keep them out of jail.

Although the calls can be frightening, residents should know the following:

• The Clerk of Courts never calls people about arrest warrants.
• The Clerk of Courts does not call people to collect fines or penalties.
• The Clerk of Courts does not accept payments for outstanding warrants.

If you receive one of these calls, hang up and report the call to the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs at 216-443-7035 or consumeraffairs.cuyahogacounty.us.

To stay informed about current scams, connect with Consumer Affairs on Facebook and Twitter @CuyCoConsumers