Sheriff's office warns of jail impersonation scam targeting inmates' families

RENO COUNTY, Kan. — The Reno County Sheriff's Office is alerting residents to a phone scam targeting family members of jail inmates, according to a social media post issued by the agency.

Scammers are contacting relatives shortly after individuals are booked into custody, falsely claiming to represent the sheriff's office. The callers request bond payments through unconventional methods including Apple Pay, gift cards and Bitcoin.

"Please know the Sheriff's will not call and ask for any one to pay over the phone with gift cards apple pay cryptocurrency or any other way," the sheriff's office stated in its warning.

The timing of the fraudulent calls — occurring soon after bookings — suggests scammers may be monitoring arrest records or booking information to identify potential victims when they are most vulnerable and seeking information about their incarcerated family members.

Law enforcement agencies typically do not solicit payments directly from family members over the phone, and legitimate bond transactions are processed through official channels at the jail or through licensed bail bondsmen.

The Reno County Sheriff's Office can be reached at (620) 694-2735 for residents who receive suspicious calls or need to verify information about inmates. Additional information is available at renogov.org/sheriff.

Residents who believe they have been targeted by this scam are encouraged to report the incident to local law enforcement.