A new twist on an old scam has been reported recently in Jefferson County. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, they received a scam report Tuesday from an individual who received a phone call advising that their family member was in jail and that they needed bond money to be released. The scammer advised that the victim was under a “gag order” so they were not allowed to speak about the bond money, which was a sum of thousands of dollars, so the caller arranged for a “courier” to pick up cash payment from the victim’s residence. A suspect posing as a courier then arrived at the residence to collect payment.

This person was described as a dark-skinned male that spoke broken English, standing approximately 5’6″ tall with a slender build wearing dark jeans, a dark colored sweatshirt, baseball hat and shoes. He was wearing a white mask and white gloves. The subject was driving an electric blue four door compact car, possibly a Toyota or Hyundai with reports of the license plates being from Linn or Polk County.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to be cautious with phone calls from numbers you aren’t familiar with, and never give out personal information or access to your computer or address. If someone claiming to be a courier arrives at your home to collect money or property, do not engage with the person, and contact law enforcement immediately.