Protecting Yourself from Jail Bond Scams: The Apple Pay Warning for Big Sandy Families
If someone calls claiming you can pay to get a loved one released from Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, stop. Verify before you send a dollar. The facility has specifically warned families about a bond scam involving a demand for Apple Pay payment.
Big Sandy Regional Detention Center has warned families about scammers calling and claiming they can get an inmate released for $2,500 through Apple Pay. Notice the pattern: the caller reaches out to you, unsolicited, names a specific dollar amount, and pushes a fast, app-based payment method tied to a promised release.
The facility's position is clear. Big Sandy Regional Detention Center does not call family members to solicit money to bond someone out of jail. It does not authorize any outside agency to make those calls either. So if someone tells you "the jail" is calling for payment, that claim doesn't match what the facility actually does.
- Treat it as a scam right away. A call asking for $2,500 through Apple Pay to “get them out” matches the warning the facility posted.
- Do not send money or payment codes. If the caller is asking for Apple Pay (or any quick-transfer payment), stop the transaction and do not continue the conversation.
- Report it to local law enforcement. The facility’s recommendation is to contact your local law enforcement and let them know you received a call like this.
How Verify
- ✓ Call the Sheriff’s Department directly at (606) 789-0252 to verify any claim that money is needed for release.
- ✓ Do not rely on information provided by an unsolicited caller (even if they sound official or know personal details).
- ✓ Ask for verifiable, official information, then confirm it through law enforcement before you pay anything.
Warning: An unsolicited call demanding $2,500 through Apple Pay to get someone released is a major red flag. Big Sandy Regional Detention Center does not call families to solicit bond money, and it does not authorize outside agencies to do so.
- ✓ Refuse any demand for an instant Apple Pay transfer, especially when it is tied to a promise of immediate release.
- ✓ Verify first using the Sheriff’s Department number listed by the facility: (606) 789-0252.
- ✓ If the caller claims they are calling on behalf of the jail or an “authorized agency,” treat that as suspicious. The facility says it does not authorize outside agencies to call families for bond money.
- ✓ If you receive a call like this, contact local law enforcement and report it.
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