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Clayton County family scammed out of $2K after son's arrest

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Published  November 11, 2024 5:13pm EST
Clayton County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Clayton County jail bonding scam takes family for $2K

A Clayton County father says he was the target of a scam after his 17-year-old son was arrest for a speeding violation. His cautionary tale.

The Brief

    • A Clayton County family was scammed out of $2,000 in a fake bonding scheme following their son's traffic-related arrest.
    • The scam callers impersonated officials from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department and Anytime Bonding, convincing the family to pay the bond via Zelle and Cash App.
    • Martin Owens realized the scam when the actual bonding company, Anytime Bonding, had no record of his son's supposed bond.
    • Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen has alerted nearly 420,000 citizens about similar scams involving fake calls about missed jury duty and false arrest warrants.
    • The sheriff’s office has received at least 60 complaints about such scams and is currently investigating with Clayton County police.

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Clayton County family is livid after having been ripped off by someone to the tune of $2,000 in a bonding scheme, following their son's arrest on traffic charges.

The parents say they immediately responded when they were contacted by what they thought was the Clayton County Sheriff's Office.

"Someone called me saying they were from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department, and they tell me my son has a bond, it's a cash bond. It sounded real," Martin Owens said.

The husband and father now knows that the people who called him, claiming to be with the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and Anytime Bonding, are scam artists.

Mr. Owens admits to feeling very anxious after he heard that his 17-year-old son Elijah had been jailed on Sunday for driving 20 miles over the speed limit in a car without a tag.

"They call me with all my information, first name, last name, charges. Of course, my son is 17. I want him to get out," the father explained.

Mr. Owens showed FOX 5 the phony receipt the crooks sent him and the names and phone numbers to which he sent the $2,000.

"I sent it to a Zelle and a Cash App," Mr. Owens confirmed. 

When he arrived at Anytime Bonding to find out when his son would be released, he realized he had been conned. The bonding company said they had no idea what he was talking about.

Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen showed FOX 5 scam alerts his office has mailed, emailed and texted to almost 420,000 citizens recently. 

"We will never call you over the phone, and it's not just a bonding scam. I want to be clear on that, they’re doing jury duty. They are calling people saying you missed jury duty; you have a warrant for your arrest? You need to go to Walmart right now and get me a gift card for $500," Sheriff Levon Allen said. 

The sheriff says he has had at least 60 complaints about these scams and his office and Clayton County police are investigating.

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta spoke with Martin Owens, who reported being the victim of a jail bond scam and Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen, who gave perspective on the ongoing scam.