Bail scams are on the rise in North Carolina, according to bail agents who say they've seen a spike in reported calls in recent months.
“In all manners you can think they could try and pray on those family members of those incarcerated and not incarcerated, they’re figuring out how to do it," Julie Henderson told WRAL 5 On Your Side, president of the North Carolina Bail Agents Association.
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What it looks like, and who's impacted
Callers will portray themselves as either a deputy from a local sheriff's office or a bail bondsmen themselves, claiming that a family's incarcerated family member is behind bars and needs immediate financial assistance regarding their case.
Bail Bondsmen licensing falls under the jurisdiction of North Carolina's Department of Insurance [DOI], headed by Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey.
WRAL 5 On Your Side asked for more information from the DOI follow an interview with the NCBAA, leading to Causey wanting to warn about the issue.
“They'll call your mother, say 'Mrs. Smith,' they’ll pose as a deputy sheriff or bail bondsmen, and say, 'This is Deputy Griffin with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office. Need to talk to you for a minute about your son in our jail,'" he said.
Henderson added real people's arrest and prison records can be used against a family, or in some cases, the charge itself is false, too.
"People are being scammed and losing money," Causey said.
Causey says the DOI is investigating 30 cases across 16 counties where the scheme has been reported, but acknowledges the true number isn't known and probably far higher.
"The data is not good because what is happening is … people are getting taken advantage of and scammed," Henderson said. "Then a lot are embarrassed, we've heard from clients and bail agents they’ve been scammed thousands of dollars but hesitant to take it forward because they’re embarrassed."
“I could probably tell you 40 that have happened within our own county. So we know the department of insurance is not getting all that information, unfortunately."
What more could be done?
WRAL 5 On Your Side asked Causey if he felt there was anything more the Department of Insurance can do to hold the scammers accountable.
Causey pointed to a transition to a completely digital court system that could help phase out bail bondsmen as scam targets.
"Most of the court system has been digitized. It’s paperless now, but the last piece has been paperwork for bail bondsmen," he said. "We are launching a program, working with district attorneys and bail systems to make that electronic."