St. Lucie deputies warn of scam targeting residents with fake pretrial release programs

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Deputies are warning the public of a pretrial release scam targeting St. Lucie County residents.

According to deputies with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, in recent incidents, victims have received emails or messages stating they were chosen to be in a pretrial program. The scammers then instruct victims to pay for ankle monitors, classes, or program enrollment through emails and text.

In most cases, deputies say the fraudsters collect the funds through payment apps like Zelle, Cash App, and gift cards.

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Authorities remind the public that official communications will only come from verified government phone numbers and email addresses.

Residents are urged to:

Do not send money or provide personal information in response to these messagesDo not click links or respond to unsolicited emails or texts claiming to be from Pretrial ServicesVerify court information directly with the Clerk of Court, your attorney, or the Sheriff’s Office

Anyone contacted by the scammers is urged to alert the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.