PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- The Peoria County Sheriff's Office reported on Wednesday that a new scam is targeting the families of detainees in the Peoria County Jail.

The scam involves a person pretending to be a sergeant or captain from the sheriff's office reaching out to the family members of those currently detained in the jail, a Facebook post said.

The scammer will then tell their victims to pay bail money through Zelle to secure the release of their loved ones to home detention, after which their charges would be dismissed. They would also claim their computers are down and they can't accept cash.

The sheriff's office said they will never call anyone and demand money. Anyone who receives a scam call can reach out to the sheriff's office at 309-697-8515.

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