TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office is warning people of scammers preying on inmate’s family members.
One woman received a call from ‘Eric Kitch’ and was promised the release of her family member in return for a $400 payment, which the scammer suggested be sent via Venmo due to Covid-19 and in-person restrictions. Chief Deputy Kitch is retired and no longer works for the Sheriff’s Office.
Another individual, who reached out to their bondsman before proceeding with payment, was told the jail was overrun with the Coronavirus and asked for a thousand dollars for their loved one to be released.
Casey Roebuck, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Communications Director, said people frequently impersonate former and current staff members to give credibility to their scams. If a person does a quick ‘Google’ search for the name of the caller to verify, when given a name that was once connected to the Sheriff’s Office, it makes it more likely they will follow through with the requests of a scammer.
“It’s certainly disheartening, and my heart goes out to them because they were honestly just trying to help their loved one out of what they thought was a dangerous position,” said Roebuck. “I don’t want them to be ashamed.”
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office said they will never request payment for anything over the phone or on an app like Venmo. However, for those who aren’t familiar with the Criminal Justice System, Roebuck said they can be vulnerable to these kinds of scam calls.
“What you do is you work with a licensed bondsman, and they will facilitate the bond of your loved one from the jail,” said Roebuck. “You’re not going to Venmo anybody that works here to make that happen.”
Roebuck said that while there may be some shame surrounding these crimes and if someone falls for a call like this, TCSO cannot do anything if they don’t know it’s happening. They encourage Tulsa County residents to always reach out if they have a question about situations like these.
“Frauds and scams are the most common crimes people fall victim to, and there is no shame in coming forward and admitting that this happened to you, because we can’t help you if you don’t come in and talk to us,” said Roebuck.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 918-596-5600.
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