The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has received several complaints from citizens who have been victimized by a phone scam that is affecting our area.
The victims of this scam have received a phone call from someone stating that a family member has been arrested for driving under the influence or some other crime. The caller will then advise the person that the bond to have their family member released from jail is a certain amount and they will need 10 percent of that amount to make their bond.
Frequently, the caller will tell the person to call a specific attorney and speak with them concerning the incident. The "attorney" will then direct the person to get cash for the amount needed for the bond and to package it up in a specific manner.
The "attorney" will then have someone, typically an Uber driver, go to the person's residence, pick up the money, or they will direct the person mail the information to a specific provided address.
The HCSO would like to offer the following advice to help you not to become a victim of this scam:
- Bondsmen and attorneys will not send someone to your residence to pick up money or tell you to send payment to them via UPS, FedEx, or give payment to a third-party driver service etc.
- Typically, bondsmen and attorneys will ask their clients to meet them at their place of business for payment or to arrange payment.
- Never give cash or other forms of payment to anyone without first verifying the statements or the legitimacy of the agency/organization.
- If you have been told a family member has been arrested, call that family member to verify their whereabouts or call the appropriate jail to find out if they have in fact been arrested.
If you feel you or a family member have been a victim of a scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
Currently, there are multiple cases with a similar scam disposition affecting citizens across the state.