Families of inmates should beware of scammers claiming to be associated with law enforcement and asking for money.

Law enforcement officers in Leavenworth, Kansas, are urging families to be cautious after reports of scam callers saying inmates can be released for a lesser payment than their bond.

One family member of an inmate said they received a call from someone who said they were a deputy with the Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office.

The caller said that the family member could pay a fee of $4,500 rather than the $50,000 bond to release the inmate on the condition that they would have an ankle monitor. The claim is that the $4,500 would cover the ankle monitor cost.

"The defendant's father, the victim in this attempted scam, had attended the defendant’s bond hearing just an hour before receiving the call," said Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson. "Knowing that the $4,500 fee was significantly less than the mandated court bond, he called his local police department asking for advice.

"When in doubt, always call a trusted source before making any form of payment online or over the phone. This man likely saved himself thousands of dollars by making that one call to the police department."

Law enforcement said it seems that scammers are monitoring online jail logs to create convincing stories to pressure families.

Thompson assured that law enforcement does not call families to request payments for bond reductions.