Brown County Sheriff’s Office Responds to Recent Jail Roster Scam

Reports were made that state once someone new is added to the Brown County Jail Roster, that their parents or family members are called and the scammer asks for money. When the family checks the roster, it shows that the individual is indeed newly in jail.

What does a real situation look like for someone who was picked up by law enforcement on a warrant or who was arrested and has a bail option?

The person with the warrant has contact with law enforcement (traffic stop, appeared in court, arrested at their house, turned themselves in, etc) and it is discovered that they have a warrant. The warrant may be “body only” in which the person cannot bail out and must be taken into custody and appear in front of a Judge. If the warrant has a bail amount, the individual may post the bail and sign a Promise to Appear at a later court date and time. Posting bail may be done by either paying the cash amount or contacting a bail bondsman to post the bail on their behalf. The law enforcement agency that took the cash or bail will receipt the money and route the money to the Court in which the warrant was issued out of. What if someone is arrested in another county such as Koochiching County (International Falls, Minnesota) and the family is here in Brown County? You can come to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and we can verify the warrant and the bail amount, we can take the cash bail, have you sign the bail forfeiture notice, receipt the money and route the money and paperwork to the Koochiching County Court Administrator’s Office to take care of the warrant.

Law Enforcement will never request that bail be posted with PayPal, phone cards, Amazon gift cards, iTunes cards or other gift cards.

Scammers will ask for PayPal accounts, phone cards, Amazon gift cards, iTunes cards, other gift cards as well as money orders. Legitimate businesses will not ask for payment via phone cards, Amazon gift cards, iTunes cards as well as other gift cards.

What should you do if you have been contacted by a scammer?

If you did not answer the call and only received a voice message, you do not need to report it.

If you answered the call and only spoke to the scammer without sending money or giving personal information, you do not need to report it. Be aware that the scammers take notes and may have noted that your number is a “good number” as you are a potential future victim for fraud.

If you answered the call and you sent money or gave out personal information you should report it. You should contact your bank or credit card company fraud department and law enforcement to make a report of the fraud and/or loss of money.