Prison/Jail Scams — Ask the Inmate
Where there is desperation, people are willing to exploit it. Correctional facilities generate a unique environment for scams targeting both inmates and their families on the outside. This section covers the most common scams operating in and around correctional facilities, including fake bail bondsmen, fraudulent legal services, romance scams targeting families, phone account fraud, commissary manipulation, and the drug-laced mail schemes that have led to facility-wide mail restrictions across the country. Understanding how these scams work is the best protection against them. The guidance here comes from real experience with the criminal justice system and from watching these schemes operate from the inside. If something feels wrong, it probably is. The questions answered in this section help families and inmates identify suspicious situations before they become costly mistakes. See also our sections on Inmate Phone Calls, Send Inmate Mail, and Relationship Issues.
Related InmateAid Services
A disturbing and increasingly lethal trend has emerged in jails and prisons across the country. Ordinary-looking paper is being soaked in synthetic cannabinoids and smuggled into facilities, where inmates smoke it by lighting small strips using a slow-burning wick made from toilet paper or fabric. The drug most commonly identified in these cases is a synthetic cannabinoid called Pinaca. Unlike marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids are engineered chemicals that affect the brain far more intensely and unpredictably than natural cannabis. Narcan,
Read moreIf your inmate is asking you to send money through Cash App, Venmo, or any other peer to peer payment service, it is worth pausing before you do it. Inmates cannot receive Cash App payments inside a facility. When they ask you to send money this way it is going to a third party on the outside, someone connected to them whose identity you may not know. There are a few reasons this happens. The most common is
Read moreYes, the service is called "Letters from Inmates". It allows the inmate to use the InmateAid address to receive your mail without giving out your physical address. There is a section on your Account Dashboard where incoming inmate mail is placed for your review. This is a huge service for people not wanting to expose their physical address where a bad-intentioned inmate could potentially extort a loved one on the outside. For $1.59, it's inexpensive 'peace of mind'.
Read moreYES, they would use the 'return address' on the mail piece we send on your behalf. Having your inmate send mail through us protects you (both) from the prying eyes of nearby inmates who might have bad intentions with the address of an inmate's loved one. There are countless stories of inmates extorting loved ones... don't expose your personal information needlessly, the cost for us to handle your inmate mail is $1.49.
Read moreThe $200 per month is reasonable to cover things like telephone calls and commissary. The very troubling part is the 27% loan - which we would strongly suggest NOT doing. Inmates can live without the extra money coming in. It is definitely nice to have while you're doing time, but it is not mandatory.
Read moreNO, there is no internet access for any inmate in any prison or jail. The only way they can get it is by having a smuggled smartphone, which if caught carries server penalties including the possibility of more prison time.
Read moreThey need some form of money to buy or service to trade for the drugs. It could be commissary items or they could "work for" the dealer as inmates do chores and other things for money.
Read moreOne sign would be asking you to put money on another inmate's account. Another would be asking you to give money to someone on the outside for unexplained reasons. What behavior or signals are making you suspicious?
Read moreIt is possible that it is partially correct. But is sounds a little fishy. Paroled inmates are oftentimes provided transportation and we've never heard that the inmate had to pay for ankle monitoring, but it's possible that they now charge. We would encourage you to contact the facility and ask to speak with a counselor that is in charge of your inmate's re-entry. They will know 100% what is real and what is not.
Read moreCall the police in the jursidiction where the house is located. Report everything you know about the alleged crime, pretty simple stuff.
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