Alert — Apple Pay / $2,500 Bond Scam Targeting Big Sandy Families

Big Sandy Regional Detention Center has warned families about a phone scam making the rounds. Here's how it works: someone calls an inmate's family member and claims they can get your loved one "out of jail" for $2,500 paid through Apple Pay. The caller sounds urgent, maybe even official. But the facility has confirmed this is not a legitimate way to post bond or secure anyone's release.

Big Sandy's position is clear: the facility does not call family members asking for money to bond someone out. They also don't authorize any outside agency to make those calls on their behalf. If the caller claims they're calling "for the jail" or says the facility sent them, that's a red flag - it contradicts what Big Sandy has publicly stated.

Immediate Steps

• ✓ Hang up and do not send money - the facility says calls like this are a SCAM.
• ✓ Contact your local law enforcement to report the call (this is what the facility recommends).
• ✓ Report it to the facility by calling Big Sandy Regional Detention Center directly at 606-297-5245 (use official numbers, not the number that called you).

Not sure if a call is legitimate? Hang up and verify it yourself. Call Big Sandy Regional Detention Center directly at 606-297-5245. The facility is located at 904 3rd Street, Paintsville, KY 41240. When you place the call, you control who you're talking to - instead of trusting a stranger who reached you first.

• ✓ Big Sandy Regional Detention Center (main): 606-297-5245
• ✓ Home Incarceration: (606) 789-4041
• ✓ 911 Dispatch: (606) 789-4221
• ✓ Johnson County Sheriff’s Department: (606) 789-0252

Already sent money? Contact local law enforcement right away - the facility specifically advises reporting these calls. Then reach out to your bank or Apple Pay as soon as possible and ask about options for disputing fraudulent transfers.