Montana's Warning: Stay Safe From Inmate Lookup Scams

As if the holiday season in Montana isn’t stressful enough with travel, money, weather, and everything else swirling around, scammers have now decided it’s the perfect time to prey on families trying to stay connected with loved ones behind bars.

The Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is alerting residents to fraudulent county jail websites popping up across the state.

An old-school jail I spotted in Montana. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

One of the recent active culprits is musselshellcountyjail.org, a site that pretends to be the official Musselshell County Detention Center. It offers what look like legitimate inmate lookup services, with mailing instructions and money-deposit directions… but it’s all bogus.

Similar fake sites have surfaced statewide, said the Montana Attorney General's Office, targeting people who are already dealing with a difficult, emotional time of year.

Credit: txking

What to watch for on fake incarceration websites.

For many Montanans, navigating incarceration, whether it’s a spouse, sibling, adult child, or close friend, is tough enough. Add holiday expectations, family gatherings, and winter pressures to the mix, and the last thing anyone needs is a scam draining their wallet or compromising their information.

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To help protect Montanans, the OCP offers these reminders:

Verify links. Only inmate-search pages ending in .mt.gov or official county domains are legitimate.
Spot red flags. Montana jails never ask for mailed money orders to a P.O. Box.
Never pay for basic info. Inmate lookup is always free.
Approved deposit methods only. The state says Access Corrections, JPay, and TouchPay are the only approved money-transfer methods. In-person at the jail is always an option.
When in doubt... Call the jail directly using the contact info on the legitimate county website.

If you’ve encountered a suspicious website or any scam attempt, report it to the Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection at contactocp@mt.gov, or call 406-444-4500 or 800-481-6896. You can report a scam online HERE.