CLEVELAND — The Cuyahoga County Scam Squad and Sheriff's Department are alerting residents to a troubling scam in which criminals impersonate deputies to extort money from the families of recently arrested individuals.

According to authorities, scammers are contacting family members of newly booked inmates and falsely claiming they can secure their loved one's release by paying for an ankle monitor. The imposters pose as sheriff's deputies in an attempt to lend credibility to their demands.

Officials emphasize that legitimate deputies will never call citizens requesting payment of any kind.

The warning comes as jury duty-related scams also continue to circulate in the area. In these schemes, fraudsters send fake court summons via email and threaten recipients with fines or "bonds" unl

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