Inmates families, friends target of “cruel scam”

Some local residents with friends or family in the Bartholomew County Jail have become victims in what authorities are calling a cruel scam. Callers are pretending to be a jail sergeant and claiming that the loved one has died in custody.

The calls appear to Caller ID as if they were coming from the jail, but they are not.

So far, the callers have not asked for money from those they contact, but the sheriff’s department urges you not to give out any personal information to the scammers. If you have any questions about whether such a call is legitimate, you should hang up and call the jail directly.

Authorities stress that no inmates have died recently at the jail. They say that the scammers are causing anguish to those being contacted.