COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a fraud scheme targeting families of incarcerated individuals. Scammers impersonate law enforcement officers and use caller ID spoofing to convince victims to pay fake fees using gas station barcodes.
The scheme involves scammers calling victims shortly after a relative or friend is arrested. Impersonating a police lieutenant, the caller provides fraudulent release instructions and directs victims to withdraw cash to pay for release programs or fake bond fees.
In a recent case investigated by the Sheriff’s Office, a victim received a call from a fake lieutenant claiming their relative needed to be enrolled in a program called “Second Chance Community Supervision” to be released with an ankle monitor.
The victim withdrew cash from a bank and paid via a barcode texted to them at a local gas station. The scammer then called back demanding an additional cash payment for bond through the same gas station barcode method. The family realized they were scammed after calling the detention facility and learning their relative was being held without bond until a first court appearance.
Sheriff’s officials warned that scammers use caller ID spoofing to display the agency’s actual phone number on incoming calls. Authorities noted that fraudsters increasingly target elderly residents and encouraged community members to verify that older family members and neighbors are aware of the scheme.
The Sheriff’s Office highlighted several warning signs associated with the fraud scheme. Callers may demand payment for crimes, fines or failures to appear, or ask victims to transfer funds using Bitcoin ATMs, cryptocurrency or gift cards such as Google Play, Apple or Visa.
Scammers may also request sensitive information, including Social Security numbers or financial account details, under the pretense of identity verification.
Legitimate fines and bond payments are handled directly at the Columbia County Detention Facility or through the official portal on the Sheriff’s Office website. Bail and custody transactions are never processed through convenience store portals, cryptocurrency or texted links.
Residents who suspect a fraudulent call are advised to hang up and independently call the Sheriff’s Office US-90W location at (386) 752-9212, the Fort White District Two office at (386) 497-3797, or the Detention Facility at (386) 755-7000.
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