10/12/2026
The Burleigh-Morton Detention Center and Burleigh County Sheriff's Department have continued to field calls regarding this scam or one similar to it.
The scammer will falsely identify themself as a deputy from the Burleigh County Sheriff's Office and say that you have a family member that is in jail and that they are eligible for early release if you pay a certain amount of money.
This is a scam. BCSD and BMDC will never call you to solicit funds on behalf of an incarcerated person. If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of a call purported to be coming from the Sheriff's Department, hang up and call 701-222-6651.
*** SCAM ALERT ***
The Burleigh County Sheriff's Department has been notified of a scam targeting family members of recently incarcerated inmates.
In this instance, the scammer called a family member of an inmate, identified themself as a BCSD employee, and requested $250 for a bed in a treatment facility for the inmate. The scammer goes on to say that if the inmate completes training, an additional $1,400 would then be needed.
Employees at the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department and the Burleigh-Morton Detention Center will not call family members to solicit funds on behalf of inmates. This sort of monetary request would have to come from the inmate, either directly or via their legal counsel. We will never ask you for payment of any kind over the phone.
If you ever have questions or concerns about the legitimacy of a call claiming to come from BCSD or BMDC, hang up and call 701-222-6651.
