GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Criminals are using personal information and making it harder for people to tell what’s real and what’s not.
It happened to a Gwinnett County family.
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Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin was live in Gwinnett County Tuesday night on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. where she spoke with the family. They say a young man in the family was arrested, and shortly after, a man claiming to be a bail bondsman reached out to them.
The family says the man on the phone said he could bail their son out of jail for 10 percent of the bond and that the money needed to be sent to him right away via Cash App.
“They’re contacting people based on public information,” Mrs. Stevenson, the mother, said. “In that moment of high anxiety, we didn’t pay attention to those small details.”
The anxiety was because the son, who had no prior incidents, had been arrested and in jail for not paying a traffic ticket.
The man on the phone knew the amount of the full bond and other details, all of which could be found on the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s website.
Stevenson said they sent the money immediately.
When they got to the jail, a deputy told them they were likely victims of fraud, so they called the man back.
“He said oh it’s been a busy night. I have a lot coming in. but I’m working on it and I’m going to get him out in about two and half hours,” she said.
But that never happened.
It turns out, there may be multiple people running the same scheme.
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“What tipped me off to it being a scam is that I got another call from a different number saying the same thing. I texted my husband and I said I think we’ve been scammed,” she said.
A spokesman with the GCSO said they are aware of the scheme and offered a statement that read in part: “If anyone calls you requesting money to bond your friend or loved one out of jail, please confirm who you are sending the money to. This can include “researching” the business online...All approved bail bond companies operating in Gwinnett county can be located on the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office website...”
The sheriff’s office added that the new schemes pop up across metro Atlanta and around the country on a daily basis.
They say we should be mindful and slow down because most legit people will not pressure you to pay them via a money transfer app.
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