Skip to Main Content

Scammers Targeting Lawrence County Residents

03/08/2018

An old scam has come back around and being used on Lawrence County residents.  The Sheriff's Office has received calls from concerned citizens about calls reportedly coming from the Lawrence County Jail.  Here is how this scam works:

A family member, usually a grandparent or relative that may not have daily contact with someone, will receive a call that may show up on caller ID as "Lawrence County Jail", "Lawrence County", "Jail" or something similar.

The caller at the other end of the line will present themselves as a grandchild or other relative and tell the unsuspecting victim that they are in jail and that they need cash in order to post bond.  This person will typically use the actual name and have other personal info of a family member and may have information on that family member as well.  They will beg and plead for the help of the alleged relative.

Fortunately, the victims in our cases did not fall prey to this scam.  If you get such a call, DO NOT send money.  Instead, verify the information.  There are a couple of quick ways to do so.

 

1.  Call the Sheriff's Office and ask if that person is actually in jail.  You can reach us at 417-466-2131.  We will be happy to provide that information to you.

2.  Check our website.  You can see who is currently in custody by going to www.lawrencecosheriff.com and click on the "Inmate Roster".  This roster is updated every 15 minutes with current information. 

 

Again, please try to not fall for these scams and stay safe.