What to do if someone calls demanding bail money: Hennepin County scam alert

Here's how the scam typically works: someone calls claiming a family member or friend was just arrested and is sitting in the county jail. They insist you pay

• ✓ They may tell you to buy a prepaid money transfer card and then read them the card number over the phone.
• ✓ They may direct you to purchase bitcoin at a machine and transfer it to an account they control.

These callers know how to sound legitimate. They spoof phone numbers so your caller ID shows what looks like a real agency - don't trust what's on your screen. Some even use actual names of local law enforcement officers to make the story feel official and pressure you into paying.

1. Refuse to share information or send money - Don’t give the caller any personal details, and don’t make any payments.
2. Hang up - End the call, and don’t trust caller ID to confirm who they are.
3. Save what you can - Record the number that called you and save any voicemails.
4. Contact the real agency directly - Look up the official number for the law enforcement agency the caller mentioned and call that office yourself.

Not sure if a call is real? Don't argue with the caller or try to sort it out on the phone. Hang up. Then verify directly with the jail. Hennepin County's advice: if you're unsure, call 612-348-5112 - and look up that number yourself rather than using one the caller gives you.

• ✓ Save any voicemails from the caller.
• ✓ Write down the phone number shown on caller ID (even if you suspect it was spoofed).
• ✓ Note exactly what they asked you to do (for example: pay, buy a prepaid card, or transfer bitcoin).
• ✓ Share those details when you contact the official agency using a real, independently verified phone number.