February 15, 2026
NEWS RELEASE
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of a Jail Inmate Bonding Scam currently targeting our area. This particular scam has targeted jails around Idaho and across the country by locating people connected to incarcerated individuals. Suspects identify themselves as Sheriff’s Deputies or possibly connected to the courts or a bonding entity, convincing victims they need to pay money over the phone for their friend or family to be released from jail.
Victims of this scam may be aware the person in question is incarcerated but have not verified details given to them by suspects about bonding or fine processes. Suspects then convince victims to pay money over the phone using online accounts, crypto-currency or bitcoin ATM machines, money cards, or gift cards to secure release.
The process of paying fines or bonds for an inmate to be released from jail requires direct contact with the courts and/or Deputies at our jail facility. There is NEVER an instance where money is solicited over the phone as part of the process and payment is NEVER taken via electronic means through crypto-currency, money card, gift card, or online transaction. Instructions of this nature by scammers is ALWAYS a tell-tale sign of a scam, not just scams of this nature but also scams related to jury duty, missing court dates, or paying fines to avoid arrest or criminal charges.
With the installation of Bitcoin or Crypto ATM machines at various gas stations and businesses in our area, Sheriff’s Deputies are seeing more and more victims who are convinced by suspects to deposit money directly from their accounts to these online systems before they realized they are being scammed.
If you received a call, text, or email related to a scam of this nature, STOP what you are doing and contact your loved one or the government entity in question directly to verify legitimacy BEFORE you provide personal information, click on any link, reply to an email or message, or send money in any form. Scammers often have enough personal details to make the story seem credible, often use actual names of agencies and officers in your local area and mask their number on caller ID to appear the same as local dispatch or government phone numbers. CONSIDER if what you are being told is a realistic possibility or situation that you would already have knowledge about and the places you could call to verify the details. There is always time to think about what’s happening and consider whether or not you are being scammed.
Always monitor your online and financial accounts, utilize available security features, and change your passwords often. If you are a victim of a scam, contact your local Law Enforcement to make a report. Scam information and links to resources can be found on the Community Resources page at www.BonnevilleSheriff.com or on the BCSO mobile app found in your app store by searching “Idaho Sheriff Connect.”
