HABERSHAM COUNTY, GA — The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has issued an urgent advisory to residents regarding a recurring telephone scam in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials to demand money.
Authorities report that scammers are specifically targeting the families of individuals currently incarcerated in the county jail. By using third-party online searches, perpetrators can identify relatives of inmates and exploit those connections to solicit funds.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, these calls often involve aggressive demands for immediate payment to settle bonds, cover ankle monitor fees, or resolve falsified warrants for missed jury duty. The HCSO stated that these scams have already cost local families and other victims thousands of dollars.
“Urgency and fear are two methods used by scammers to pressure you to give up your hard-earned, saved money,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in a press release.
Officials reiterated that legitimate law enforcement agencies will never call or text citizens to demand payment for any reason. The HCSO clarified the following protocols to help residents identify fraudulent calls:
- No Direct Demands: Detention center staff and deputies will never call demanding payment over the phone.
- No Texts: The office will never request payment or financial information via text message.
- Inmate Communication: The only person who will contact a family regarding bond money or fees is the incarcerated individual themselves.
The Sheriff’s Office advises anyone who receives a call of this nature to hang up immediately and strictly avoid providing any personal or financial information.
Now Habersham researched a few social media posts that contained complaints about jail scams and found the following:
- When scammers request money, the dollar sign often comes after the dollar amount, which is typical in other countries
- Misspellings, incorrect capitalization, and poor grammar exist throughout the message
- Punctuation is often missing or in the wrong location
- Government attempts to collect payment are never through “payment apps” unless they are specific to that government agency (such as parking, park access and rentals, etc.)
Community members are encouraged to share this warning with friends, family, church groups, and neighbors to prevent further victimization.
