Police Warn: Phone Scam Targets Families of Inmates with Fake Electronic Monitoring Fees
New Cumberland Police warn residents that scammers posing as law enforcement demand immediate payment for fake electronic monitoring releases — never pay via apps, crypto, or gift cards.
The New Cumberland Police Department is warning of a recurring phone and text scam in which callers spoof local police, sheriffs, court officials or monitoring vendors and claim a recently arrested relative can be released on an ankle monitor if an immediate fee is paid. Scammers use caller ID spoofing, public booking details, urgent pressure tactics and demand untraceable payments via Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or prepaid gift cards. Authorities advise hanging up, verifying custody status with official published numbers, never paying through apps or gift cards, and reporting incidents to the provided dispatch numbers or 911 in an emergency.