Beware of a new scam that is commonly occurring. Scammers are calling defendants and their family members to instruct them on entering the ARD program or reporting for an electronic monitor. They are then asking for $1,000 or a deposit to be paid through Venmo, Cashapp, or some other money transfer app. DO NOT PAY THEM! The following are indicators that this is a scam:

1. A judge must order and include it in the bail conditions to be on any kind of monitoring device.
2. Dauphin County Pretrial Services and Adult Probation do not charge any up-front fees for any monitoring service while on bail.
3. They also do not accept any payments for any services through any payment apps.
4. A preliminary hearing needs to take place before program acceptance
5. Acceptance for ARD needs to be approved by the District Attorney’s office

The scammers are providing detailed information that makes it seem legitimate. All three of the scam indicators above should help you identify the scam and you should not follow their instructions. If you are contacted, please note as much information as possible and report it to your local law enforcement.

 If you have questions, please contact your attorney or you may call Dauphin County Pretrial Services at 717-780-6440 and select Option 2.