Union County residents warned about scam

Union County, Illinois, State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds is warning residents about a telephone scam in which a caller pretends to represent his office in an attempt to trick them out of money.

A person identified as Justin Cobb, who claims to be affiliated with Edmonds' office, calls residents, tells them they owe money for failure to appear for jury duty and instructs them to wire money or obtain a money card and send payment for the fine, Edmonds reported in a news release Tuesday.

Edmonds warned the public not to disclose financial or personal information over the telephone.

Union County offices do not request sensitive information over the telephone, the release stated.

Any Union County resident who receives a suspicious call can report it to the state's attorney's office at 618-833-7216 or to the sheriff's department at 618-833-5500.