Tuscaloosa Bail Bondsman Warns Community of Telephone Bail Scam

Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Alabama Bail Bonds, a Tuscaloosa bail bondsman, is warning residents of their community of phone, text, and internet scams that have been on the rise in recent months. These scammers are targeting the elderly members of the community and trying to trick them into giving away their money.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website, there were over 3.2 million reports to the FTC of various types of scams in recent years. The latest of which is the “Bail Bond Scam”. Reports of this breed of the scam are on the rise across the state of Alabama.

The “Bail Bond scam” involves the victim by calling them on the phone and telling them that their child or grandchild has been arrested, sometimes even providing their name as proof. The scammer will then say that in order for their loved one to be released from jail, they will need to provide payment via an electronic format such as a cash app or reloadable money cards such as Green Dot or Money Card, blaming the COVID19 pandemic as the reason they cannot accept the payment in person.

If a scammer does request cash, they often provide the victims instructions on what to say to a bank teller if the transactions are questioned, telling the victim to act upset and angry or tell the bank employee that it is none of their business.

“No legitimate bail bond company will ever ask you to pay over the phone, we will meet you at the jail. These scammers just create such a stressful situation that people feel rushed to get it done.” Says owner and agent of Alabama Bail Bonds, Ruby Collard, “If someone calls you saying your loved one is in jail, call the jail directly to confirm before you do anything else. If they give you a hard time about confirming, they are not a real agent.”

Alabama Bail Bonds wishes to encourage their community to be aware of this scam and to stay vigilant in asking questions and verifying information before they can be taken advantage of. The company advises that if anyone receives a suspicious phone call, text, or e-mail to reach out to the police for assistance. To learn more about how to avoid bail bond scams, or to hire a legitimate bail bond company in Alabama, contact Alabama Bail Bonds today at (205) 339-7109 or visit their website at www.alabailbonds.com.