Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

The Oakland County Sheriff is warning residents about a scam where people pretend to be deputies.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that representatives of his office will never call or text and ask for an immediate payment for any reason.

The Sheriff’s Office is recommending that people ignore these calls or texts or hang up the phone.

“At least four residents – one as recently as Sunday – were contacted either by phone or text message from a person who identified himself as a “Sergeant Franklin” from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and asking for money to get their loved one out of jail,” a press release from the Sheriff’s Office said.

Each person who was contacted does know someone who is incarcerated at the Oakland County Jail, the press release said.

There is no Sergeant Franklin at the Sheriff’s Office.

“These scams are frustrating and robbing innocent citizens of their hard-earned money.” Bouchard said. “We continue to remind anyone that receives a phone call from someone representing themselves as a government entity demanding immediate money that it is a scam.”

The fake sergeant told each person that “he can get a loved one of theirs out of jail if they post bond through him using bitcoin or a QR code that he provides and a phone number to call,” according to the press release.

Investigators think the scammers are getting the contact information by checking the list of inmates online then connecting them to a family member using additional research.

The scammer texted the mother of an inmate to say her son was in jail and that he wanted to speak to her about conditions her son would have while under bond. When the mother spoke to the scammer over the phone, she was instructed to take $1,200 from her bank and go to a grocery store in Troy. She was then told how to send the money using a bitcoin machine at the store.

Once the money was sent, the scammer stopped responding to her messages. She found out later that her son had been released before the transaction was completed.

Two other victims came to the jail with receipts of the transaction with the scammers, only to be told by deputies that the Sheriff’s Office only takes cash bonds at the bonding window in the jail.

The four victims paid a total of $6,400 to the scammers.

If anyone has questions about the legitimacy of a message or call from the Sheriff’s Office, call 248-858-5000.