There is a statewide scam that bond agencies and detention centers have been dealing with recently. Callers state they represent either bond agencies or law enforcement and ask information regarding inmates. The Craighead Sheriff's Office and Detention Center has received such calls, as have one or more of our local bonding companies.

As with all in-bound phone calls, there are things one must do to protect themselves from potential identity theft, or other security breaches.

• Never give personal information over the phone. This includes information about yourself or others.
• Never assume the person on the phone is the person they claim, especially if they say they are law enforcement. Bad guys like to impersonate police officers because we trust law enforcement.
• Any time you get a request that is out of the ordinary, trust your instincts.
• Get as much information about the caller as possible. You may have to verify this information, or it may have to be used for a police report.

We are taught from a young age to trust law enforcement, and the bad guys know this and use it to their advantage. Police officers understand that your hesitation to divulge information without verification may slow down their official business, but it also hampers those with nefarious intentions.