Leavenworth attorney warns of scam targeting families of inmates
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCTV) - Local law enforcement in Leavenworth, Kansas, are warning the community about a new scam that features fraudsters using online inmate rosters to deceive and exploit inmates’ families.
According to Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, scammers appear to be specifically targeting relatives of people who recently appeared in court, received bond amounts or been listed as an inmate in the county sheriff’s online booking log.
“Any time you receive a phone call, text or email asking for any of your personal information, you need to it,” said Thompson. “In the phone call that was made, the person asked for their bank number so they could send money through that way. Fortunately, that did not happen, likely because the person was still on the road when they made the phone call, but they could have lost that money that was asked for or a lot more.”
The fraudsters recently called a defendant’s father and claimed to be a Leavenworth County Sheriff’s deputy. Using a ghost phone number, the fraudster falsely informed the family a payment smaller than the original $50,000 bond set by the District Court Judge was available.
At this time, it’s unknown if this particular scammer lives in the area or not. It comes as scams are becoming more and more frequent.
‘We see a new scam almost every single day,” said Thompson. “Whether it’s through the computer, or over our phones over text or through phone calls. If you don’t know the person, always . Make sure your parents and your children know not to give out information, particularly any information that they can get money from.”
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Thompson said the scammer claimed a $4,500 fee could be paid to release the defendant and that the fee is charged to cover a necessary ankle bracelet expense. The scammer told the family member payment could be made via telephone from a bank draft.
According to Thompson, the defendant’s father received the scam call within an hour of a bond hearing and called the local police department asking for advice after getting the call.
“When in doubt, always call a trusted source before making any form of payment online or over the phone,” Thompson said.
Leavenworth County authorities said they believe scammers are monitoring online jail logs to figure out recent court appearances and bond amounts. Thompson also said he wants to remind the public law enforcement does not call families to request upfront payments for bond reductions or ankle monitor expenses.
The Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office released several tips to help protect yourself from scams:
- Information: If you receive such a call, use the official information to the police, the jail, or the court directly.
- Beware of Urgency: Scammers often create a sense of urgency to pressure victims into immediate payments.
- Never Pay Over the Phone: Legitimate bond payments must be made through official channels, never via phone transactions.
- Report Suspicious Calls: If you receive a call like this, immediately report it to your local law enforcement agency.
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