Oak Park and River Forest residents are among those being targeted by phone scammers posing as Cook County Sheriff's Office staff and demanding payment for citations, warrants or missed jury duty.

The calls are fraudulent.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office issued a news release Saturday, Aug. 15, warning the public about the active scam, Patch reporter Anna Schier reported Monday. The agency said it never initiates phone calls to seek payments or notify people about citations, warrants or jury duty obligations.

The scam calls come from numbers without caller ID, according to the Sheriff's Office.

What to do if you get the call

The Sheriff's Office outlined specific steps for anyone who receives a suspicious call from someone claiming to represent law enforcement:

• Ask for the caller's full name, badge number and phone number.
• Hang up and independently call the agency using official phone numbers found on its website.
• Do not follow the caller's instructions or use any phone number the caller provides.

The agency warned residents never to trust a callback number given by the caller.

Scam reports rising locally

The warning comes as scam activity in Oak Park appears to be climbing. Oak Park logged six scam reports in July 2026 through the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker, ranking 10th among 282 Illinois cities with at least one report, according to BBB data compiled by DuPage Policy Journal. That was double the three reports Oak Park recorded in June 2026. River Forest logged two reports in July, tying for 58th statewide.

Those BBB figures cover all scam types, not just law enforcement impersonation schemes.

How to report

Anyone with information about the Sheriff's Office impersonation scam, or who believes they've been victimized, can call the Cook County Sheriff's police at 708-865-4896 or 847-635-1188.