JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville woman is issuing a warning to others after falling victim to an elaborate scam involving the Duval County jail system.
Theresa Roushey says she was waiting outside the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility in downtown Jacksonville to pick up a close friend she refers to as a brother, who was being released after months behind bars.
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While sitting outside the facility, Theresa received a call from someone identifying himself as Captain Richardson with the jail.
The caller told her that nearly $1,800 would need to be paid before her friend could be released on an ankle monitor.
What made him seem convincing was that he knew details that only someone on the inside would know, including the color of her shirt, her name and her friend’s probation officer by name.
Roushey made the payment. But the caller wasn’t done.
He then told her an additional $3,200 in court costs would need to be paid, and she paid that too, all through a Cash App account.
It wasn’t until her friend’s probation officer told them the whole thing was a scam that she realized what had happened.
In total, Roushey lost more than $5,000.
“My brother didn’t deserve that. And the people that helped contribute to that didn’t deserve that. And anybody else that’s been affected by it doesn’t deserve that,” Roushey said.
“Because no matter what happens to someone, for them to end up in jail, certain people, they don’t deserve for things like that to happen to them. It’s not fair.”
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says it has recently dealt with the same problem, warning that scammers call shortly after a loved one is arrested, providing what they describe as “legitimate sounding instructions” on how to complete the release process.
Investigators say the Cash App account the money was sent to has since been blocked and a complaint has been filed.
Officials say legitimate jail and court officials will never ask for payment through Cash App, Zelle or any other peer-to-peer payment app.
If you receive a suspicious call asking for money related to a jail release, hang up and contact the facility directly using a publicly listed phone number.
If you believe you have been targeted by a similar scam, contact your local sheriff’s office immediately.