The Mahoning County Sheriff's Department is warning Valley residents about a scam that started last week.

People claiming to be associated with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department are calling and telling residents that they have missed jury duty and now owe money.

Major Jeff Allen says the callers are trying to obtain people's personal information. "We will never ask you for any personal information and we will never ask you for any payment information. Our office rarely calls people. When it comes to fines, we do not collect the fines it is the courts and everything else is done usually through serving papers," Allen said.

Major Allen says these scams happen about once a year. The scammers are believed to be making these calls from another country.