Cass County Warning of Scam Targeting Family Members of Jail Inmates

Cass County officials are warning of a scam involving family members of jail inmates.

A press release from the Sheriff’s Office says scammers are asking for parents and family members of new inmates to the jail for money. The scammers can see who has been recently added to the jail roster and are calling those families sometimes from a spoofed phone number that appears to be from the local sheriff’s office.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office stresses that law enforcement will never ask for bail to be posted with PayPal, phone cards, Amazon gift cards, iTunes cards, or other gift cards, noting that these are common methods scammers will use in an attempt to acquire money from victims. Legitimate law enforcement agencies will never demand immediate payment over the phone for fines, missed court dates, or to clear warrants.

In one recently reported incident, $1,800 was transferred to a fraudster under the impression that the victim was providing bail money on a legitimate family member in custody. If you receive any calls like this, you should:

• Hang up immediately: Do not provide any information, and do not stay on the line to argue or question the caller.
• Do not call back the number from the call: Scammers may be spoofing the number and you will not reach a legitimate agency.
• Call the official Sheriff’s Office directly: Look up the phone number for your local Sheriff’s Office on their official website, or a trusted directory, and call them to verify the claim.
• Do not share personal or financial information: This includes your Social Security number, bank account information, or payment details.
• Report the scam: You can report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and visit identitytheft.gov if you have already shared personal information.