Scammers are calling families of newly arrested people in Onondaga County, posing as the sheriff's office and asking for ankle monitor fees. Here is what to know.
Scammers in Onondaga County are calling relatives of people who were just arrested. They pretend to be from the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and say money is needed to get the person released on an ankle monitor. The sheriff's office says the scam is ongoing and that it is investigating.
The calls usually come within hours of the person being booked and arraigned. Arraignment is the first court appearance, where charges are read. That timing is the trick. A family is scared, has little information and wants to help fast.
The calls often come from outside area codes. After the call, a barcode arrives by text message. The caller tells the family to use it for an electronic money transfer on the websites of real ankle monitoring companies.
The scam leans on real names and real websites, which can make it feel legitimate. Anyone who sends money this way could lose it. The caller sets the pace and pushes for quick payment, so there is little time to stop and check. A demand for fast payment over the phone is the warning sign to remember.
The people most at risk are family members of someone recently booked and arraigned in Onondaga County. If no one in your family has been arrested, this call is unlikely to be aimed at you. Still, it is worth passing along to relatives and neighbors who might get one.
The alert box above lists the exact steps, including the number to call if you got one of these calls. The main idea is simple: do not act on the call itself. Look up the sheriff's office on your own and ask them directly.
The sheriff's office has not said how many families have been contacted, how much money may have been lost, or how the scammers learn who was arrested. It says only that the investigation is open. Anyone with information can call the sheriff's CID at 315-435-3081.
If a caller demands money to release a jailed relative, hang up and check with the sheriff's office using a number you look up yourself.
The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says scam calls are reaching residents, and a call that sounds official may not be.
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