The St. Joseph County Police Department is warning of recent scams in the area.

The department says they have received reports of scammers calling families of inmates and demanding money to “bail them out.”

They are telling families that they need to pay immediately or that they will move on to the next inmate.

However, the department says it is entirely a scam, and the only way to bond someone out of the St. Joseph County Jail is to be 18 or older, come to the jail in person with a valid ID, and pay with cash or card.

They will never call anyone asking for money, nor will they put a time limit on when you can pay.