HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — I've told you about law enforcement impersonator scams, from the jury duty scam around metro Detroit to the tether scam in St. Clair County last year. Last month, a Highland Park woman was targeted in a tether scam, but this one had a twist.
She emailed tips@wxyz.com to share her story so we could warn others. I had a chance to talk with her one-on-one and speak with the Wayne County Sheriff to learn about the red flags.
Watch Alicia's report in the video player below
“My concern was my son," said Andrea Hill.
Hill said her son was arrested on a probation violation in December and taken to the Wayne County Jail. About two hours after learning about her son's upcoming court appearance, she got an unexpected call from a man claiming to be from the Alpena Jail, saying her son had been transferred there.
“I said, 'My son was transferred?' So, my first reaction is my heart is racing.- now cuz it's been two hours. I'm like What was he transferred for? Why? He said the jail is overcrowded," Hill said.
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office warned of a tether scam last September. Scammers were checking public records to see who was recently booked, then quickly searching for their family member's names and phone numbers, and calling them to request money to have their loved one released on a tether.
The new twist? Your loved one is being transferred to a jail hours away, and released there.
"(They said) 'you're gonna have to pay the tethering fees and the processing fees for him to come home and be released. Is that okay?’ I said, ‘No problem, no, that's fine.’ So, he said, ‘I'm going to send you an email, and I need you to respond to it,'" Hill recounted.
She gave him her email address, then received an email about an electronic monitor agreement from someone named Thomas Bradley. His email address ended in 'toke.com', not '.gov'.
“They wanted a thousand dollars from you, and you balked at that saying, 'look, I'm not able to afford that right now'. Then they bargained down. They said, 'okay, we'll give you a hardship pass. You only have to pay $450?'" I asked her.
"$450. Yes, ma'am. Exactly.” She responded.
"And what did you think about that?” I followed up with.
"Actually, I was ready to do it. I said, ‘Okay, can I give you my bank card?’ He's like, ‘No, we can't we can accept the bank card.’ I'm like, ‘Why not?’ And I didn't think about it that the process, if anything is involved with the court system, they have no problem taking your debit card, your bank card," she recalled.
He told her she could send the money via mobile payment apps.
“Does the Wayne County Sheriff's Office use any of these mobile payment apps like Cash App, Zelle, Venmo?” I asked Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.
"We do not use any of those. We do not. That's why it's so important that citizens know that once they hear those kind of things, that's the big red flag," he responded.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office currently has a warning posted on its website about the jury duty scam. But the tether scam is one that's only popped up in the last six months, the Sheriff said.
"Does the Wayne County Sheriff's Office ever call inmates' families to let them know their loved one is about to be released on tether?” I asked Sheriff Washington.
"No, we get all of that done in person," Sheriff Washington replied.
So if you get a call like this, hang up. Then contact your local law enforcement office directly. Andrea Hill is relieved she didn't send any money.
"I thank God that I didn't do it," Andrea said. "Hang up the phone as soon as they call you.”
We thank Andrea for sharing her story to help others. She said the most convincing part of this scam is that the caller knew her son's name, knew he'd recently been arrested and knew how to reach her.
Remember, arrests and bookings are public record, often accessible through state databases. Never give out your personal information in an unsolicited call. Report the scam to law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission.
