Scammers preying on families of people incarcerated at Virginia jail: Brunswick SO

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Scammers are preying on the families of people incarcerated at a Central Virginia prison or currently going through a court case, Brunswick County authorities say.

On Wednesday, Nov. 26, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office took to Facebook to warn the public of what it described as a "new version of an old phishing phone scam."

Citizens are receiving phone calls from scammers falsely claiming to represent the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office for the purposes of tricking them out of their money.

According to authorities, the scammer asks their victim if they have a family member who is currently incarcerated at the Meherrin River Regional Jail or currently has a case pending in the court system.

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If the victim says yes, the scammer asks for money in exchange for granting the family member bond, or "other favorable outcomes."

"Scams like this increase during the holidays," authorities said. "The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, the Meherrin River Regional Jail and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office will never call and request money over the phone for any reason."

If you ever receive a call that makes you feel concerned, doubtful or uncertain about the identity of the caller, you should always hang up and contact the agency the person claims to represent directly.

In this case, citizens are encouraged to contact the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office directly at 434-848-3133.