SHELBY COUNTY — A local court is warning people of a phone scam targeting family members of people who are in jail.
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Sidney Police wrote in a social media post that the Shelby County courts have received multiple reports of scam calls targeting family members of those who have been either charged with a crime or are in jail.
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The scammer calls the family and falsely claims to be an employee from either the jail or the court, according to the social media post.
They say or do one of the following:
- Demanding money for an ankle monitor
- Claiming payment is required to secure release or avoid re-arrest
- Requesting payment via PayPal or other electronic methods
- Using random or generic names
The court will never call to demand payment for an ankle monitor, the social media post stated.
Ankle monitors would only be ordered by a judge in person, with installation scheduled while the individual is physically present in court.
Individuals receiving such calls should not send money and should report the incident to their local police department.
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