Court officials in Boone County are issuing a warning to the public of a new caller scam that targets relatives and friends of people being held in the Boone County Jail.
Scammers target the jail rosters to identify individuals currently in custody by contacting their relatives, impersonating jail staff, law enforcement officers or court officials.
The scammers claim in these calls that they can release the incarcerated individual on house arrest with electric monitorization if an upfront fee is paid for a ankle bracelet or monitoring device, according to a news release from Derek Hux, court administrator for the 13th Circuit Court.
These scam callers often attempt to create legitimacy by referring to the names of real judges and reference back to booking details.
Tactics used include high-pressure, urgency, demanding of immediate payment with untraceable methods such as Cash App, Venmo, cryptocurrency, or retail gift cards.
Hux urged residents to protect themselves by hanging up immediately, verifying information independently about the detainee, and reporting the scam.
Hux said court officials never participate in phone solicitations, never ask for payment over the phone, nor accept digital wallet apps, pre-paid cards, wire transfers or gift cards.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office in a statement on Facebook said, "HANG UP on these scammers and call your local law enforcement agency at a published number, not one the scammer provided, if you need reassurance that the call was not legitimate."
