Sheriff’s Office warns of scam

Published 9:40 am Monday, July 1, 2013

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is warning of a jail-related scam on Facebook. (File)

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a jail-related scam on Facebook. (File)

By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a county jail-related scam appearing recently on Facebook.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the scam typically involves an unauthorized Facebook page claiming to be collecting funds for a county inmate’s commissary account.

The Facebook pages usually use photos captured directly from the Shelby County Jail listing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“One such site has begun a deceptive practice of accepting funds from unsuspecting citizens under the pretext that they will place the received funds onto an inmate’s commissary account on behalf of the citizen,” according to a post on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

According to the post, the Sheriff’s Office will never solicit inmate funds through Facebook or any other website except Shelbyso.com/page.php?p=inmate_money.

“The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is in no way affiliated with any Facebook page that solicits funds or donations … or that claims they are able to place funds onto an inmate’s commissary account,” read the Facebook post.