Fake bondsman scam hits Henry County

MT. PLEASANT - On Feb. 22, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a citizen that they had been scammed out of $600, while attempting to bond out a friend or relative incarcerated in the Henry County Jail. It appears scam callers are contacting friends and relatives of Henry County inmates, posing as bondsman, and demanding payment for services.

In a press release, the Henry County Sheriff’s Department described the process.

“These scammers are sending barcodes via phone number or email to the recipients. The recipient then takes the bar codes to a local store, such as, Walmart, Walgreens, or Target, where the store scans them and requires the recipients to pay a dollar amount. This dollar amount is then directly sent to an unknown bank account.”

The Sheriff’s Office urges people who have received calls from bondsmen, and are not sure whether they are legit, to call the Sheriff’s office at (319) 385-2712 for guidance.