BOYLE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Officials at the Boyle County Detention Center are warning the public about a scammer posing as a staff member.
Chief Deputy Chad Holderman said the detention center received a call from a community member who had been contacted by someone early Wednesday morning claiming to be jail staff. The caller falsely claimed the jail was releasing an inmate due to overcrowding.
"Any staff member here in the jail isn't going to call someone in the middle of the night asking for them to come pick up their inmate due to overcrowding," Holderman said.
The scammer also told the community member their contact information was listed in the National Crime Information Center and offered to remove it.
"I assume there would be a charge for that. And they also asked for some personal information," Holderman said.
The community member realized it was a scam because they knew the inmate had already been released the day prior.
"The citizen that was called knew the inmate and knew they'd been released the day prior, that was kind of the red flag, and that's why they called the jail to notify them what was going on," Holderman said.
This is not the first scam the detention center has dealt with in recent months.
"We've had this happen twice, once last fall and once right before Christmas. People were getting phone calls saying that there was a new plan in place at Christmas and if they could pay them over the phone then they could get their inmate released in time for Christmas," Holderman said.
The jail will never call and ask for personal information, changes to personal information, or payment over the phone. Inmates typically contact family themselves to notify them of their release.
"The inmate himself or herself would know what her conditions of release could be. They'll reach out. They'll usually make the phone call to family. Also on the JailTracker website we have a list on inmates and what their bonds are. So then they would be able to make that bond," Holderman said.
Officials urge anyone who receives a suspicious call to contact the jail or law enforcement.
If you need to bond a loved one out, go to the Boyle County Courthouse during business hours to pay. If it is after hours, you may pay at the jail.
