Investigators believe a large scam ring working inside one of Georgia's most secure prisons is using drones to bring in contraband.
According to investigators, inmates at Macon State Prison made more than 10,000 phone calls to potential victims in one month, and they told elaborate lies to convince their targets to pay money. It's believed the ring potentially made tens of thousands of dollars off the scam.
Investigators said inmates used contraband cell phones to make the calls. The callers impersonated officers and told victims they would be arrested for ignoring jury summons unless they paid a fee. It's a “Jury Duty” scam where the scammers tell victims to pay a fee in order to avoid jail time for missing jury duty.
Two men are now in jail, and charges are expected against the accused ringleader, a man already serving a life sentence.
Prisons in the south are grappling with contraband cellphones, and similar scams have happened from Georgia prisons. In August 2017, two Georgia inmates were charged in Alabama in connection with a multi-state jury duty scam.
The state corrections department spokeswoman sent Georgia news outlet, Channel 2 Action News, a statement saying: “Drones are fast becoming a nationwide issue within prison systems. We take it very seriously and our committed staff works every day to manage this growing contraband challenge.”