New Scam Targeting Families Of Northern Colorado Inmates Heats Up

Yet again, scammers have found another angle to try and separate Northern Colorado residents from their hard earned money. This time, specifically, they are targeting family members of inmates in jail.

Families of Weld County inmates have reported to the Weld County Sheriffs Office that they have been receiving phone calls from a 970 number, demanding "bail money" under false circumstances concerning their incarcerated family member.

In some cases, family members have been told that their loved ones have been injured in jail - or even committed suicide - then have been told to send "bail money" to take care of the situation.

The Weld County Sheriff's Office says that the calls could come from any 970 number that you may not recognize, and some tactics may even allow them to spoof legitimate Weld County Jail or other official phone numbers.

Family members of inmates across the State of Colorado are being told that if they do receive one of these suspicious calls that they should not engage with the caller and instead immediately hang up and call the police. As the scammers have currently been targeting Weld County inmates, the non-emergency number for the WCSO is (970) 350-9600.

You can also contact the Weld County Jail and inquire about the status of an inmate by calling (970) 400-3910.

As these kind of scams continue to get more and more creative over time, law enforcement - in addition to banks and other institutions - are quick to remind you that they will never, ever, ever ask for money over the phone, nor will they ever ask for payment in the form of gift cards, wire transfers or money transfer apps like Venmo or PayPal.