The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a new scam. According to law enforcement, scammers posing as sheriff’s officers call to demand fake bond payments from relatives of incarcerated people.
What We Know: Scammers are reportedly calling family members of inmates, claiming to be a “Mark Townsend” or using a lieutenant title, and telling them they must pay an immediate bond online or over the phone.
The sheriff’s office stressed it never calls to demand or accept payment for any reason.
Scammers often claim the payment is needed to avoid an arrest warrant, resolve missed jury duty, or cover ankle monitor costs.
In Context: According to the sheriff’s office, scammers may use online tools to identify relatives of incarcerated individuals and then use urgency and fear to pressure them into paying.
Sheriff’s offices report similar scams across Georgia, often targeting elderly residents. Earlier this year, the same scam was active in Coweta County.
Take Action: The sheriff’s office advises residents to hang up immediately if they receive such a call and not to give out personal or financial information.
Residents are encouraged to warn elderly relatives, friends, and community members about the scam.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
