In November 2020, a second arrest was made in a bail bond fraud case. The person in question, with the help of an accomplice, committed bail bond fraud. This case began opening the eyes of many people to the possible scams that can happen.
These scammers prey on people in need of bond help. This leaves many people wondering how to ensure they are using a legit bond service and not falling for a similar scam as in the November 2020 arrest. Alliance Bail Bonds wants you to know what to look for and how to avoid these scams.
Who Issues the Bond
The first thing to understand about receiving a bail bond is who issues the bond. In some of the fraud cases, the person represented themselves as a police officer. Police officers do not issue bail bonds. When you are dealing with a bail bond you are dealing with the judge that sets the bonds for the crime you are charged with and the bondsman.
Police officers are only involved with the arrest. The bond issue is between you, your bondsman, and the judge. When your bail is set, you or a friend contact the bondsman. The bondsman will meet with the person paying for the bond. If the person paying the bond is you, they will meet with you at the jail. Forms will be signed regarding the circumstances of the bond and the contract to pay the bond.
When Is the Bond Issued
In Florida, bond amounts can be set at the time of arrest and booking. Many counties have a set fee schedule for different criminal offenses. These schedules are based on not only the crime but also on certain criteria the arrested individual must meet.
If the criteria are met, then the fee is then set. This helps the court system by cutting down on the need for larger dockets of people the judge must see. It also helps with reducing the amount of time someone needs to stay in already overpopulated jails.
When the bond is issued for the crime, you are notified during the booking process. Bondsmen have access to the records of the arrest and can bring up the arrest with you or your loved one’s name. They can see the crime and can tell you or the loved one the amount needed to bond out of jail.
This means that the first phone call can be made to a loved one to handle the bail issue or to the bondsman to start the bonding out process.
Where Is the Bond Signed
The bail bond can be signed online or at the bail bond office and in some cases your home. Now understand in some of the fraud cases that have come to light, the fake bondsman would come to the person’s home and oftentimes offer their services before the loved one had sought out assistance themselves. So always do your research and verify the bondsman license is valid and active with the state. Here is a link for Florida license check https://licenseesearch.fldfs.com.
When you are dealing with a legitimate bail bondsman, you will find that signing the paperwork and posting the bond follows a specific process.
Once this is done the bondsman will prepare the paperwork and meet you or the loved one. Once the paperwork is signed the bond will be posted. This involves several steps that deal primarily with the bondsman and the corrections officers working at the county jail.
When the bond is paid and posted, you will be released from jail. The key point to remember to avoid scams is that you have to reach out to the bondsman and verify their license is valid and active. Secondly, confirm the bail bond office’s legitimacy and location through research and reviews found on major search engines and state government websites.
To learn more about Alliance Bail Bonds and how to avoid scammers, contact us immediately at 386-257-5116 or visit our website at https://volusiabailbondsman.com/.