DANE COUNTY (WKOW) -- Authorities in Dane County are alerting residents of a telephone scam that involves someone's family member.
The Dane County Sheriff's Office says scammers are calling people and telling them that a family member has been in an accident and arrested. They say the scammers will tell the victim that their family member will not be released until a large sum of cash is provided for bond.
Someone on the line will also post as an attorney and tell them not to speak to anyone else about the incident, according to sheriff's officials. They will then send a courier to the victim's home to pick up the money.
If the victim pays the courier the money, then the scammers will try to get even more cash by playing on the emotions of the victim, sheriff's officials say.
Authorities are asking residents to be mindful and share information about this scam to prevent others from falling victim. They remind you to never give out personal information over the phone and never give money to someone who calls you.
If you think that you've been a victim of this scam, the sheriff's office is asking you to report the crime to local authorities.
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