Huntsville bail bond company warns of bail bond scams
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A North Alabama bail bond business is warning people about a type of bail bond scam that is going around.
"I'd really like this to stay in the forefront so that people can still know that this is going on, this is happening, and to be weary," said Joe Medlen, the owner of Bad Boys Bail Bonding.
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Medlen said scammers are impersonating real bail bonding businesses, including his, and scamming people out of money.
"They're using all the bonding company names, not just mine, my competitors as well," he said. "It makes me angry, the people who are doing it... They're taking advantage of people who are in vulnerable situations to begin with because their loved ones are in jail."
Medlen said the scammers will contact inmates' loved ones, and claim that they are trying to help the inmate make bail. However, unlike legitimate businesses, the scammers are asking for money via apps like Cash App or pre-paid gift cards and then running away with the money.
Medlen said a red flag to watch out for is "companies" that ask for payment via apps or gift cards. He said another red flag is when the only interaction is via the phone or email.
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He said Bad Boys, and most other bail bond businesses, will require people to come to their office and handle business in person.
"All the bonding companies have a contract that we require our co-signers, and we require them to come in person," he said.
Medlen said if you get a phone call from someone and you aren't sure if it is a legitimate bail bonding company or a scammer, to hang up.
"Go online, look up the companies name that they told you that they're representing and look to see if the number they're calling from is the one that they're, you know, that's listed on on the website," he said.
A bail bond scam that happened in Huntsville was recently reported to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). According to the BBB Scam Tracker , that person unfortunately lost $1,120. Another similar scam was also reported to have happened in Florence.
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Medlen told News 19 that it is sad when people get scammed, but that he understands how it happens.
"The people who are the most vulnerable are the ones that don't deal with this on a regular basis," he said. "Like how often do you have to have interact with the bonding companies?"
Medlen said elderly family members or concerned parents are also likely to fall for the scam because they want to help their loved ones. He said educating the public about these kinds of scams is the best way to prevent more people from falling victim.
