ATLANTA — Yet another family member says someone tried to trick them out of more than $1,000 after their loved one was arrested. In this case, the caller said he was an officer and he could help get a woman’s brother out of jail.
Tamika Duffey said she was in a hurry to get her brother out and almost paid what the schemer was asking for.
“I could have lost over $1,000. Yes. Yes. Quickly,” she told Channel 2s Tom Jones.
Duffey says she started seeing red flags everywhere. And that’s what saved her from losing her hard-earned money.
“I was like, ‘OK, I’m getting scammed,’” she said.
This all began Thursday when her brother called her. He said he was about to be booked into the Fulton County jail.
“Not 10 minutes later, I get a call stating that he got a conditional bond,” Duffey said.
The caller said his name was officer Ron Baker, and he was with A-1 Bonding.
He told Duffey she could pay $1,100 using MoneyGram, Paypal, Zelle or CashApp.
“I was like... first of all you’re not asking me to process any paperwork. You’re not asking me to come anywhere. Usually you go to the bonding company,” she said.
Her sister looked up the officer’s name.
“She went on social media. She said, yeah there’s an officer with that name. But he’s a white man,” Duffey said.
She says the man she talked to sounded African American.
A deputy friend then told them it was a scam.
“The biggest thing was, how did he get my information so fast to be able to call?” Duffey wondered.
The sheriff’s office told Jones inmates’ names are published on its app right after they’re booked. The schemers could then use a public records database to look up family member’s information.
Duffey doesn’t want anyone to lose money like she almost did.
“I just wanted to bring awareness that there’s a scam going on,” she said.
The sheriff’s office says this scheme has been going on awhile. It warns people government agencies never ask for payment over the phone. And it says legitimate bonding companies won’t ask for money over the phone either.
The sheriff’s office says always verify the identity and license of any person who claims to be with a bonding company.
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