The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court is alerting the public to a new scam targeting individuals recently released from jail. Scammers are falsely claiming that individuals must obtain a court-ordered monitoring device and pay a fee to avoid being returned to custody.

According to reports, within hours of being released from the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center, individuals received phone calls from a man claiming to be a law enforcement captain. The calls appeared to come from a local phone number identified as “Civil Division.”

The caller allegedly provided the individual’s name and details about the charges associated with the case for which they were recently released. The scammer then claimed that a court order had been issued requiring the immediate installation of a monitoring device or the individual could face being sent back to jail.

The caller reportedly pressured individuals to provide an email address so a QR code could be sent directing them to make a payment at Walgreens or CVS to secure the monitoring device.

“Scammers are using convincing tactics and official-sounding court language to mislead the public,” said Court Executive Officer Lissa Quintana. “Anyone receiving these calls should verify the information directly with the court before acting or making any payment.”

The court will not contact individuals by phone or text message to change conditions of release. Any modifications to release conditions would occur before a judge, with the defendant acknowledging and signing the conditions in court.

Anyone with questions should contact the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court directly at 505-841-8151 or visit metro.nmcourts.gov for official court case information.

– Published May 29, 2026