The Brief
- Fraudsters are calling families of Dallas County Jail inmates, falsely claiming the inmate can be released early due to overcrowding if fees are paid immediately.
- Scammers are using real inmate names scraped from public records, spoofing law enforcement phone numbers, and demanding payment via money transfers, payment apps, or gift cards.
- The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office warns that it never demands phone payments and urges residents to hang up and verify inmate status directly with the jail at 214-597-1119.
DALLAS COUNTY, Texas – The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about an ongoing phone scam targeting friends and family members of individuals incarcerated in the Dallas County Jail.
Dallas County Jail scam
What we know:
According to authorities, fraudsters are contacting relatives of inmates and claiming the individual is eligible for early release or placement on electronic monitoring due to jail overcrowding. The callers then demand immediate payment for bond, monitoring fees, or release costs.
To build credibility, the scammers frequently scrape publicly available jail records and social media to reference real inmates by name. They may also spoof caller ID numbers to appear as though the call originates from a law enforcement office or impersonate specific sheriff’s office personnel.…