I read "When Prison Calls" in the current AARP magazine.
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2020/prison-jury-duty-scam.html
The article, by Doug Shadel, AARP's scam expert, details how a pair of prisoners, inside a state prison, managed to conduct a scam that brought them $300,000 while in their cell. I was interested in how it could be done.
Get likely prospects
Arrange for a false name to appear on someone's phone ID when called.
Call on Saturday and inform the respondent they have ignored several summonses for jury duty and they are about to be arrested.
Note that officers are ready to make an arrest now unless the fine is paid right now. Best pay now and straighten out the situation when offices open on Monday.
Direct the payment to be done by Moneygram or gift cards.
The article makes clear that the process requires possession of cell phones and the ability to use them. Cell phones get smuggled into prisons.
There seems to be efforts afoot to modify the communication laws to enable prison authorities to jam any and all cellphone calls from inside the prison. Phones have been used for many negative activites, including remaining in charge of a gang, ordering murders and directing sex trafficing and drug operations.
I have read that the ID on my phones can be faked. I wondered how, so I put "fake phone ID" into Google. I immediately found several services that offer to arrange for other names to appear on someone's phone than my own name and number.
The AARP article is by Doug Shadel and I found an inexpensive Kindle book on scams and frauds by him, Outsmarting the Scam Artists. I have been reading it and he emphasizes that he is often told by people that they are too smart to fall for these scams. He explains that well-educated, savvy people who know their way around finance have been scammed. He describes "boiler rooms" in which many workers are conducting the scams:
you would find every kind of fraudulent boiler room ever invented: oil and gas rooms, vending machine rooms, Internet kiosk rooms, prepaid cell phone rooms, prepaid legal rooms, prepaid pornography rooms, gold coin rooms, online casino gambling rooms. You name the scam, there was a room that operated that scam.
Shadel, D.. "Outsmarting the Scam Artists" (p. 5). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
I guess not only does the operation require fake information on the recipient's ID but another weak point seems to me the matter of Moneygrams or gift cards. We were surprised recently at signs about a rack of gift cards that said no purchases of more than $300 worth of gift cards. We were told the rule was an attempt to block various scams and extortions. Don't forget the problem of laundering either. Bankers and government agents can be interested in where these funds came from.
