Sheriff’s office issues warning about scam involving fraudulent bond payments, tell me about this news in (https://www.whio.com/news/local/sheriffs-office-issues-warning-about-scam-involving-fraudulent-bond-payments/3XAU4TTUONEEDKTHFRSMXOUXJ4/)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning to the community regarding a scam involving fraudulent bond payments.

In this scheme, scammers contact victims via phone call or text message, posing as someone from the sheriff’s office. They claim that a friend or family member has been arrested and granted a bond, often using real names and sometimes even targeting individuals they know are currently in custody to create a false sense of urgency and legitimacy.

Victims are then pressured to send money for their loved one’s release using methods such as cash deposits at retail locations via barcodes, digital payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle, gift cards, or other electronic payment methods. Once sent, the funds are typically accessed immediately by the scammers and are very difficult or impossible to recover.

The sheriff’s office emphasizes that it never contacts individuals by text message, phone call, email, social media, or other digital platforms to request bond payments, nor does it ever direct residents to send money through peer-to-peer payment apps, gift cards, or retail payment services. Officials urge residents to stay vigilant, verify unexpected messages directly with law enforcement through official channels before sending any money or sharing personal information, and report suspected scams immediately.