Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green is once again issuing a reminder to citizens about an old phone scam that’s going around. Green says some residents of the community have received phone calls from people claiming to be a relative who has been taken to jail, and needs money to be released. KJAN has warned you about this scam numerous times in the past couple of years.

The supposed “relative” says they need you to send the money in a certain amount of time, in order to not allow verification the person is actually in jail. And, the caller will usually want you to send a money order for payment. The Chief says jail DO NOT accept money order, so that should be your first “Red Flag.” They also might ask you to send money to another country.

Green says if you receive a similar call, you should first verify the person is actually in jail, by attempting to call the relative who said they’re in trouble, other family members, or by simply calling the jail itself. Green says the only way to get someone out of jail, is for you to appear in-person and pay the bond, or through a reputable bonding company. If you use a bondsman, you will most likely have to meet their representative at the jail to make the payment.

Chief Green says the best thing you can do if you feel like someone is trying to scam you, is to call the police department, and allow THEM to verify the information.