Scam callers pose as jail staff and demand money for ankle monitor release

Scammers are phoning the relatives of people held at a Maryland jail and asking for money. The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office issued the warning. The callers pose as staff from the county detention center and say a loved one can come home early, but only if the family pays first.

What the callers say

According to the sheriff's office, the caller says the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown is overcrowded. He then claims certain inmates qualify for release with an electronic ankle monitor, a device worn on the leg that tracks where a person is. The catch is the payment. Families are told to pay upfront to secure the release.

The pitch works because it hits a worried family at a vulnerable moment. A call that seems to come from the jail, with a possible way to bring someone home, can push people to act fast.

Who is at risk and what to do

The warning is aimed at family members of people held at that center. Anyone with a relative in custody should treat a call like this with suspicion. Others are unlikely targets, but they can pass the word along to friends who have a loved one in jail.

The steps in the alert box above explain what to do. The key point is to check the claim yourself, using the jail's real number, 301-475-4200, ext. 3200, rather than any number the caller gives you.

The sheriff's office did not say how many families have been called, how much money was demanded, or whether anyone has paid. Those details are not known yet.