FROM MILLBROOK POLICE CHIEF P.K. JOHNSON
Over the past two weeks there have been two separate incidents where senior citizens have been contacted and advised that a relative has been incarcerated and that they needed to send a large sum of money to make their bond/bail. During one of these incidents the victim actually spoke to an individual that she believed to be her granddaughter.
In one instance the victim was advised to go to their bank and withdraw a large sum of cash and that a bail bondsman would meet them at their residence to take possession of the (bond) money. Shortly after the offender took possession of the cash the victim was contacted a second time and instructed to send a second payment via mail or wire service. A second similar incident occurred earlier today but the potential victim, who was 97 years of age, was able to determine that it was a scam and reported the incident to law enforcement.
Anyone contacted by law enforcement requesting payments to make bond for a relative or any other attempt to extort cash for any reason is encouraged to cease conversation with the party and contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.
This is extremely upsetting to me. It angers me greatly that people would take advantage of our seniors in such a manner. Law enforcement agencies do not request citizens to make cash bonds from their residences.
We are advising our citizens to be cautions of anyone requesting them to make large withdrawals of cash to make a loved one’s bond. We don’t operate in this manner, nor do we make contact with relatives requesting that they make someone’s bond.
All bond payments will be made at your municipal court department, police department or county jail, if appropriate. A licensed bail bond agent will not ask you to make large cash withdrawal and they normally conduct business at the local law enforcement agency, court department or county jail, if not their place of business.
We want our citizens, particularly our senior citizens, to be aware of this and encourage them to contact law enforcement if they encounter anything similar to these incidents.
