Durham deputies want you to be aware of the "Jail Bond Money Order Scam."
Last week, someone called an owner of the Charmas Churrascarla restaurant in Brightleaf Square claiming to be a deputy from the Durham County Sheriff's Office. The person said a restaurant employee was arrested for DUI and needed bail money. The person wouldn't give the name of the employee but their generic description matched a server who wasn't working that day, deputies said. The scammer wanted her to bring the money to a Wal-Mart.
When the woman got to Wal-Mart, the scammer wanted the money transfered to a "friend." That's when the owner started asking questions and the scammer hung up.
What helped the scammer is that he kept the owner on the phone the entire time, which didn't allow the owner to contact the employee, deputies said. When confronted with such a call, no information should be provided over the phone. Bond transactions only happen at the jail, either through a bondsman or by giving cash to a magistrate.
Stanley B. Chambers Jr. covers Durham Public Schools and other K-12 education issues in Durham. He can be reached at