Jason Futch
Reporter2.RiverbendNews@gmail.com
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is warning of another scam targeting families of incarcerated individuals. This time, the fraud is affecting the operation of its public jail view roster website, which allows the public to access information on people incarcerated at the Hamilton County Jail.
According to a press release by the HCSO, scammers are contacting family members of those in jail at the Hamilton County Jail, falsely claiming they can secure a person’s release in exchange for a fee. “No one from HCSO will ever call or request money to have someone released from jail,” the press release stated.
As a result of the scam, the HCSO disabled access to its online Jail View roster. According to an official with the HCSO, due to open-source searching, he said scammers can gain access to further information once they have the name of an inmate. In one incident, following the arrest of a White Springs inmate, a scammer saw his name and performed an open-source search.
Although there is no timeline as to when it will return, the official said the community can continue to request information on bookings through a public records request. If someone receives a phone call regarding this scam, do not provide any personal or financial information and immediately contact HCSO at (386) 792-1001.