A Kenton County woman nearly lost $750 after scammers used her son's real jail booking information to demand payment for his release.
Annie Klette told WLWT she received a late-night call from someone claiming her son had been arrested. The caller said he could be released on an ankle monitor if she paid $750 through Venmo or Cash App.
The call was convincing. The scammer had her son's actual booking details and transferred her between multiple people on the phone, Klette told the station.
"Like, these guys were professional," Klette said. "He told me I couldn't hang up because if I hung up that call, like he could not do the program and that he would have to move on to the next person."
The caller pressured Klette to stay on the line and send money fast. Her son convinced her to hang up and call the Kenton County Detention Center directly. Staff there confirmed the whole thing was a scam.
Kenton County Detention Center officials said they will never call family members asking for money to secure an inmate's release, according to WLWT's report, published Oct. 22. Anyone who gets a similar call should hang up and verify the information with the detention center.
The detention center is at 3000 Decker Crane Lane in Covington.
WLWT’s report does not explain how the callers obtained the booking information. The Kenton County Sheriff's Office links to a public online inmate roster through a service called JailTracker on its website. No source has drawn a direct connection between that database and the scam calls.
Local police have also offered general scam-awareness training. The Fort Wright Police Department hosted a free scam awareness training on May 26 at the Fort Wright City Building, covering phone fraud, email scams and warning signs.
Klette's experience shows how specific the calls can be. The scammers did not rely on vague claims.
Residents who believe they have been targeted can contact the Kenton County Detention Center to verify any claims about an inmate's status.
