Virtual Court Scams: Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Judges Warn Public

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Since the pandemic, more and more courtrooms across Illinois and the country have taken to Zoom for virtual proceedings, including the 19th Judicial Circuit. With that, police warn those signing in for court through the app should take extra precautions due to an uptick in scams.

According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the scammers are sending messages to court attendees through the chat feature claiming to be an attorney, a court contractor, or even a court employee.

When pretending to be an attorney, the scammer offers to represent the court attendee before convincing the victim to pay them using an online method of payment. According to police, attorneys are prohibited from soliciting business in a courtroom, including virtual courtrooms.

The scammer will then start asking the court attendee for personal information, including birthdates, phone numbers, addresses, and social security numbers. The attendee is asked to submit payment to the court by using online methods of payment.

Police said virtual court attendees will never be asked to pay fines, fees, or share personal information via Zoom. Virtual court attendees who receive suspicious messages in the Zoom chat feature should alert the court immediately.