YELLOWSTONE COUNTY — The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a new jail-bond scam, targeting people with calls claiming to be deputies asking for bond money.
Travis Hagerman learned this lesson the hard way when he lost $1,200 to the scammer who convinced him his brother needed help.
Watch the story of the scam that is floating around:
Hagerman received the call around 2 a.m. Monday from someone claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy.
“The guy was super convincing. He knew what to say to make me think that he was sheriff's deputy. He knew everything,” Hagerman said Tuesday.
The caller told Hagerman his brother was in jail and needed bond money. Hagerman said his brother was struggling, so he didn’t hesitate to help.
“My brother's been struggling with mental health problems and substance abuse. And he ended up in jail. And so about eight hours after he was in jail, I got a call at two in the morning,” Hagerman said. “I thought about it for a second. And I actually, I really didn't even hesitate. You know, I want my brother to get help. I thought 700 bucks, whatever.”
Hagerman said that he was initially excited that he might be able to help his brother. That excitement quickly turned to heartbreak when Hagerman discovered it was a scam.
“I was brokenhearted when I found out it was a scam. I really thought it was going to be a chance for him to get some help,” Hagerman said.
Undersheriff Robert Lester says telephone scams aren’t new. The department receives calls every day from people wondering if callers are actually officers or scammers.
“You almost get a scam fatigue because it's one after the next,” Lester said.
Lester says there are clear red flags to watch when receiving these calls.
“The telltale sign is when they ask you for money, or Bitcoin, or gift cards, or anything like that, because it's never gonna happen,” Lester said.
He adds that scammers use fear as their primary weapon.
“That typically works really well. People get scared,” Lester said.
The legitimate process for bonding someone out of jail is straightforward, according to Lester.
“You pay the money to the bondsman to help you come get out, or you can go down to the jail. The jail will take the money right there for you. So, you're actually paying a person in uniform with cash or however they're taking the forms of the payment,” Lester said.
Hagerman is now working to dispute the $1,200 charge, which was paid to the scammer through PayPal.
“I got a police report done. I gotta wait till the transaction. It's a pending transaction on my credit card. I gotta wait till it posts before they can start to dispute process,” Hagerman said.
