CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County officials are sounding the alarm about a new variation of an old scam that’s tricking people into paying hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

The scheme begins with a phone call that appears to come from the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department.

Victims are told their loved one, who has just been booked into the county jail, is eligible for electronic monitoring and could be released if a fee is paid.

Two victims recently lost more than $1,000 each.

Sheryl Harris, who leads the Cuyahoga County Scam Squad, says this scam is gaining momentum because of a new sheriff’s office app that updates jail bookings in real time. Criminals are using that information to make the calls sound legitimate.

“There’s no universe in which you’re going to get a call from a depu

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