We have been alerted about a new scam that preys on families with a loved one in prison, please beware! This is what happened. The mother of a client being held by the Bureau of Prisons was contacted and told that the caller was with the Bureau of Prisons. The caller told the mother that because halfway houses are full, the Bureau of Prisons is using a 90 day home confinement for early release. The mother was told that her son qualified for this federal “intensive release program” and would be able to be released to home confinement with electronic monitoring. The caller had information about the client (the Bureau of Prisons number and social security number) and asked for some information from the mother (her social security number and date of birth) so that a background check and home study could be done. The mother was told that her son would need to find a job and be on the ankle monitor for 90 days at a cost of $599 per month and he would then be released to probation. The caller asked for $699 to be sent through Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App, in order to begin the release process.
The mother saw the red flags and contacted the local Federal Defenders Office to see if she should send any money. She didn’t send any money but we can assume this will happen again to another family member hoping for their loved one to come home even a little bit early. Be careful out there!
