BEDFORD — Law enforcement officials are urging Lawrence County residents to remain vigilant after a sophisticated phone scam surfaced locally, with fraudsters using public arrest records to impersonate jail officers and demand money for electronic monitoring.
The scam came to light Tuesday evening when a local reporter was targeted by the fraudsters. At approximately 7:32 p.m., the reporter received a call from 1-440-274-6682—an Ohio area code. The caller, speaking with a heavy Southern accent, identified himself as a jail officer with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.
The caller claimed that a male inmate had been arrested and was currently housed in the county jail. The “officer” went on to state that the inmate was scheduled to be released the following day on electronic monitoring, but required an immediate financial deposit to secure the monitoring equipment.
Recognizing the red flags of a phishing attempt, the reporter played along to gather details, asking the caller to list the inmate’s criminal charges and how they got her number. The caller could only name one charge. Investigators believe the scammers are pulling names and basic information in real-time directly from the public jail roster via the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office mobile app to make their fabrications sound legitimate. The caller also told the reporter she was listed as his emergency contact number.
When the reporter informed the caller of their profession and stated that the sheriff’s department never requests money over the phone, the scammer abruptly hung up. The incident was immediately reported to local dispatchers.
Sheriff Greg Day Sets the Record Straight
In response to the incident, Lawrence County Sheriff Greg Day issued a stern warning to the community to prevent residents from falling victim to these high-pressure tactics.
Sheriff Day clarified several key operational policies that immediately expose these callers as frauds:
- No Phone Solicitations: “The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department will never, under any circumstances, request money over the phone,” Sheriff Day stated.
- No Courtesy Jail Notifications: The jail staff does not proactively call family members to inform them that someone has been booked into the facility. “The arrested person is provided with phone access to make those calls and take care of those arrangements themselves,” Day added.
- Electronic Monitoring Misinformation: The scammer’s claim regarding jail-administered electronic monitoring is entirely false. Sheriff Day emphasized that the sheriff’s department does not authorize or oversee electronic monitoring releases, noting, “That is strictly a Community Corrections and Probation responsibility.”
Protect Yourself from “Jail-Bail” Scams
This incident aligns with a growing national trend of “bail scams,” where fraudsters target the emotions of worried family members. Scammers create a false sense of urgency, insisting that a loved one is in trouble and that immediate payment—often demanded via untraceable methods like digital payment apps, wire transfers, or prepaid gift cards—is the only way to secure their release.
Authorities recommend taking the following steps if you receive a suspicious call:
- Hang Up Immediately: Do not provide any personal financial information, and do not engage with the caller and do not provide any financial information.
- Verify Independently: If you are concerned a loved one might actually be in jail, hang up and call the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department directly using their official, publicly listed non-emergency number.
- Report It: Note the incoming phone number, the time of the call, and any specific details or accents, and report the incident to local law enforcement to help track the scammers.
