Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. says the department was notified about a new twist on an old scam affecting Lake County residents.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department was contacted by the Merrillville Police Department about a man who had been targeted by scammers while he was attempting to bond his wife out of jail. The fraudsters told the man before his wife could be released, he would need to pay for an ankle monitoring bracelet.
The phony company even texted the man a QR code to make the payment.
The man withdrew cash and submitted the payment to this phony company. When he arrived to have his wife released and told jail staff the story, he found out he had been scammed.
“We just want to make the public aware that no payment for an ankle monitor is required before an arrestee is released from the Lake County Jail,” Martinez said on the department’s Facebook page. “If someone is requesting immediate payment as a requirement for a jail release, please ignore the request and contact law enforcement.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department has investigators looking into the case.