The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam that has already cost families thousands of dollars after fraudsters used publicly available jail records to identify recently arrested people and target their relatives with fake bail offers.
The scam works by searching public jail records for recent arrests, then tracking down family members online. Scammers call posing as Pierce County Sheriff’s Office employees and claim they can offer electronic home monitoring to release the arrested person if money is paid immediately. Fraudsters can demand as much as $2,000.
“They will reach out to a family member posing as an employee from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, telling that family member that they will offer them an electronic home monitoring program but only if money is paid immediately,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carly Cappetto said. She emphasized that no law enforcement agency will ever call with that kind of offer.
The caller provides a link and instructions for sending money while creating a sense of urgency to pressure the family member into acting quickly to get their loved one out of jail. The speed of the transaction is the point, scammers hope victims will send money before considering the risk. “The money will disappear very quickly, and unless they can contact their bank and stop the payment in a timely manner, these payments cannot be stopped, and the money is gone,” Cappetto said.
The scam is likely happening in other Washington counties, leaving more people vulnerable to fraud. If someone calls claiming to be from law enforcement and demanding immediate payment, hang up and call 911 to verify the information. Legitimate bail and release processes happen through the courts and official channels, never through unsolicited phone calls demanding immediate wire transfers.
