The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office warned the public of a scam that targets those with incarcerated family members.
Scammers are reportedly calling victims using a blocked caller ID to tell them that their loved ones could be released from jail and be on house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor, according to a Facebook post from the department.
The scammers claim that the ankle monitor will require a flat fee of several hundred dollars or a monthly “monitoring fee,” and ask that the victim make a payment with either a debit card or an internet-based cash app. Some scammers are able to provide victims with their loved ones' names or other personal information that convinces them the call was official, the department said.
The sheriff’s office advised that any payments for court-ordered electronic house monitoring are typically processed in person at the courthouse, and that neither the courthouse nor the sheriff’s office accept electronic-based payments.
