Sheriff's office warns of fake jail bond calls demanding barcode payments
A US sheriff's office says callers claiming to work for the department are offering to help bond relatives out of jail. The callers seem to have convincing details, which is why the advice is to hang up and check directly.
In short
- What happened?
- According to WKVI, a US sheriff's office is warning of callers who claim to work for the department and offer to help bond relatives out of jail. The sheriff's office says the callers seem to have convincing information.
- What was the warning sign?
- The caller asks for a bond payment by barcode or tells you to go to a dollar store or pharmacy to send money, which the sheriff's office says its corrections staff never do.
- What can you do?
- Hang up and contact the sheriff's office or police yourself, using a number you have looked up from an official source. Talk it over with family before paying anything.
What happened
According to WKVI, the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office in the United States is warning residents about a phone scam. The callers say they can help bond a loved one out of jail, and some claim to work for the sheriff's department.
The sheriff's office said it has received reports from people who got these calls. Officials told WKVI that the callers appear to have convincing information, which can make the call feel real, especially when someone is worried about a relative.
The office stressed that corrections staff will not send barcodes. They will also not tell anyone to go to local dollar stores or pharmacies to send money for a bond payment.
Anyone who gets one of these calls is encouraged to hang up and contact the sheriff's office directly. According to the report, people can phone the dispatch center and ask for the intake or booking desk, where staff can explain the proper way to pay a bond.
Warning signs
- A caller says they work for a sheriff's office or similar body and offers to help get a relative or friend out of jail.
- The caller knows details that make the story sound believable.
- You are told to pay using a barcode, or to go to a shop or pharmacy to send the money.
- There is pressure to act quickly, before you have had a chance to check.
What families can do
- Hang up, then contact the sheriff's office or police force yourself, using a number you have looked up from an official source rather than one the caller gave you.
- Ask the real office how bond payments are made. The sheriff's office says staff there can explain the proper way.
- Talk it over with another family member before sending any money, even if the call sounds urgent.
- Remember that knowing real details does not prove a caller is genuine. Careful people are caught by calls like this.
- If you have already paid, contact the police and your bank as soon as you can.
QuietGuard, a phone safety app for Android, lets you choose who can ring you, so calls from numbers you have not named as trusted stay quiet and are listed in Activity to look at later. That can give you time to think, but it cannot judge a call from someone you trust, and checking by phoning back on a number you have looked up yourself is still the key step.
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