Cheryl Harris, director of Cuyahoga County Consumer Affairs, briefed the Education, Environment & Sustainability Committee on Oct. 30 about the county’s Scam Squad work to help residents report scams and recover funds where possible.

Harris said the county’s scam intake and multi-agency Scam Squad (which includes local police, county agencies, the Ohio attorney general and federal partners) handled 774 scam reports in 2023 with total reported losses of about $1.2 million and an average reported loss of $11,228. So far in the current year, Harris reported 890 scam reports and roughly $2.9 million in reported losses, with an average reported loss of $25,610 per case; she cautioned those averages reflect cases reported to the county and that scammers are increasingly fast and technologically sophisticated.

Harris described prevalent tactics: company imposters (fake bank or tech-support pop-ups that direct victims to call a number), government imposters (fake deputies or judges coercing victims to pay “fines” via bank or Bitcoin ATMs), and pop-up-based tech-support scams that get remote access credentials. She said scammers often use publicized names of real deputies and might coerce victims into isolating themselves from family and banks, increasing the chance victims will transfer funds to scammers. Harris and staff gave specific consumer guidance: do not click links in unexpected alerts, do not call numbers supplied in pop-ups, keep bank fraud numbers saved on your phone, and report scams promptly to improve chances of recovery.

To prevent losses and increase reporting, Harris highlighted county tools and recent expansions using ARPA funds: the Scammo bingo-style education game, the “Hang Up If” wallet cards translated into Spanish, Ready Notify scam alerts (periodic reminders every 5–6 weeks), Bitcoin ATM signage urging caution, and a 24-page Scam Squad booklet with a “scam plan” (contact numbers and steps to take). She said outreach is active — staff ran about 153 events this year — and encouraged council members to request presentations or materials for constituents. Committee members praised the work and asked the department to continue distributing materials; no formal action was required.