Residents of Allegheny County have recently been targeted in court-related theft scams.
The scam may begin with a telephone call or communication through social media platforms from a person identifying themselves as a judge or court official. The scammer falsely claims that you or a family member owe court fines and may instruct you to send a gift card, a picture of a gift card, or a gift card number to them in lieu of paying the court fines. They then use the gift card number to steal the money. Please know that judges and court officials of the Fifth Judicial District do not solicit payment of court fines over the phone or through social media platforms, and gift cards are never an accepted form of payment for court fines.
If you receive a telephone call demanding payment via a gift card, do not provide any information to the caller. Instead, disconnect the call immediately. If you did give the scammer a gift card or shared a gift card number, please contact the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department at 412-350-4714.