A Baldwin County woman says she is out $3,000 after a pair of scammers convinced her they could win her husband’s release from immigration custody, an ordeal she is now speaking publicly about in hopes of sparing others the same heartbreak. Amanda Ruano said the nightmare began after her husband was taken into an immigration hold while the couple was on a family vacation in Orange Beach and was later moved to the Baldwin County Jail.
Ruano described the following hours as a blur of fear and false hope. She said a man called claiming to be a federal judge, and the caller appeared to know specific details of her husband’s case. To make the claim more convincing, the caller told her that her husband was on the phone line with him at the jail, and she said her husband later confirmed that a man matching that description had indeed been standing nearby during the call.
Shortly after, Ruano received a second call, this time from someone identifying himself as an attorney who said he could get her husband released on asylum grounds fitted with an ankle monitor. The caller pressured her to act immediately, telling her that wiring money right away for bond, monitoring equipment and travel costs could bring her husband home within two to three hours. He warned that any delay would mean her husband would be placed on an extended immigration hold that could stretch from 30 to 90 days.
A Devastating Realization
Believing the calls to be genuine, Ruano sent the $3,000 and traveled to what she believed was an immigration office to complete the process. It was there, she said, that the truth set in: there was no judge, no attorney and no path to an early release. Her husband remained in custody, and her savings were gone.
Ruano said the financial loss was only part of what hurt. Scammers had raised her husband’s hopes that he would be released and reunited with his family, only for that hope to be crushed once the fraud came to light. She said she does not expect to recover the stolen money but wants those responsible held accountable.
Sheriff’s Office Says These Scams Are Increasingly Common
Captain Justin Correa of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigations division said his agency fields reports of impersonation scams targeting families of people in custody on a near-daily basis, with the volume of calls reaching into the hundreds. He described the people running these schemes as sophisticated operators who often gather enough personal information about a case to sound credible to a frightened family member.
Correa pointed to one detail that should raise a red flag every time: legitimate law enforcement and court officials do not ask for money over the phone. A deputy might call to inform someone about a legal matter such as a warrant or a routine paper to be served, he said, but no legitimate agency will ever ask a caller to wire funds, buy gift cards or otherwise pay to release a detained loved one.
How These Impersonation Scams Typically Work
Consumer protection authorities typically advise that scams involving detained relatives, whether tied to immigration proceedings, arrests or bond hearings, tend to follow a similar pattern. Callers create a sense of urgency, claim to have inside knowledge of a case, and pressure victims into sending money quickly before there is time to verify the story. Some scammers use spoofed caller ID information to make a call appear to come from a courthouse, jail or government office, and others coach an accomplice to pose as the detained family member to add a layer of false reassurance.
Authorities generally recommend that anyone who receives a call like this take a breath before acting. Hanging up and independently looking up the official phone number for the jail, court or agency in question, rather than calling back a number provided during the suspicious call, is one of the most effective ways to confirm whether a claim is real. Family members are also encouraged to reach out directly to a detained loved one’s attorney of record, if one exists, or to contact the facility directly to check on a person’s status and any legitimate release process.
General Tips for Avoiding Impersonation Scams
Beyond this specific case, officials and consumer advocates broadly caution the public to be skeptical of any unsolicited call demanding immediate payment, regardless of who the caller claims to be. Common advice includes never wiring money, sending cryptocurrency or purchasing gift cards at the request of a caller claiming to represent a court, jail, law enforcement agency or immigration authority. Legitimate government processes involve paperwork, in-person verification and established payment channels, not urgent phone demands.
Authorities also typically suggest that people slow down and resist pressure tactics built around ticking clocks or threats of worse outcomes if payment is not made instantly, since scammers rely on panic to prevent victims from thinking clearly or checking facts. Verifying a caller’s identity through an independently sourced phone number, discussing the situation with another trusted family member before sending any money, and reporting suspicious calls to local law enforcement can all help stop a scam before money changes hands, and can help investigators track patterns that may protect the next potential victim.
Reporting Suspected Scams
Investigators are urging anyone who receives a similar call to hang up immediately and contact the relevant agency directly using a verified phone number rather than one given during the call. Residents who believe they have been targeted or victimized by a scam of this nature are encouraged to report it to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office so investigators can look into the case and warn others in the community. Ruano’s husband remains in immigration custody as the family continues to navigate his case through legitimate channels.