SHREVEPORT, La. — The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office is warning families of newly incarcerated inmates about a phone scam in which callers falsely claim they can secure an inmate's release through an ankle monitoring program in exchange for close to $2,000.
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For Haughton resident Catherine Mosely, the scam became personal less than an hour after her brother was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center on July 30.
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Mosely said she received a call from someone claiming to be a deputy with the sheriff's office. The caller knew her brother's full name and claimed he could be released on an ankle monitor if the family paid a specific fee.
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"They said that if we paid a specific amount that he would be let out and placed on an ankle monitor," Mosely said. "They basically knew everything about the works of the ankle monitor ... so they were pretty knowledgeable on what to say in order to reel people in."
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The scammer also contacted Mosely's mother and sister-in-law, claiming her brother had listed them as emergency contacts. Altogether, the family lost about $4,000.
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"I should have known better, but given the circumstances, I was just trying to do what I needed to do as a sister," Mosely said. "They're affecting lives. People have kids. People have bills. That's not just a little amount that I can just be OK with losing."
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The sheriff's office has warned the public about the scam through several social media posts in July.
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Lt. Doug Smith said the scam has affected families for about a year. While the sheriff's office does have an ankle monitoring program, he said deputies will never call family members to offer placement in the program or request payment.
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"We don't reach out to people and offer this program," Smith said. "We're not cold-calling family members and offering ankle monitor release."
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Smith said scammers commonly ask for payment through Apple Pay, Cash App, gift cards, bitcoin or other nontraditional payment methods.
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Anyone who receives a suspicious call or voicemail from someone claiming to represent the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office is encouraged to contact the agency directly before sending money or sharing personal information.
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