An arrest can be stressful and emotional for you and your loved ones. To make the already confusing matter worse, the police or the court could require you to post bail to secure your freedom. If you cannot afford your bail, a bail bondsman can offer you bail bond services to receive your temporary freedom, pending the judgment of your case at trial.

While bail bond services are useful when you cannot afford bail bonds, this industry has several scammers waiting to prey on confused and desperate arrestees. With unscrupulous actors lurking everywhere, ready to take advantage of desperate defendants, equipping yourself with the correct and factual bail bond information and knowledge is a wise idea.

Below are some red flags to help you identify and avoid bail bond scams if you or a loved one is under arrest for any offense in Las Vegas.

Discounted Bail Bond Services Fee

A reliable and licensed bail bondsman will charge a fixed fee or premium for his/her services as required by Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 697.300. According to this statute, a bail bondsman should not charge you more than fifteen (15) percent of your bail amount as his/her premium. That means if your bail is $10,000, the bondsman should not charge you more than $1,500 as his/her premium.

If your prospective bail bondsman fee is less or more than fifteen percent of your bail price, you should take that as a red flag about the quality of his/her services and look for a different competent bondsman. Also, when your bondsman asks for an interest rate on top of the fifteen percent standard fee, chances are he/she is likely running a bail bond scam.

Coercion into Signing Over Collateral for Your Bail Bond

While sometimes bail can be extremely high, making the bondsman ask for collateral as security for your release, he/she does not have to coerce you into signing over your property because of the risks involved. For example, the bondsman can seize any property you choose to give him/her as collateral for your release from jail on bond to cover his/her losses when you fail to appear in court as required.

If your prospective bondsman coerces or pressures you into signing over your property, including titles, real estate, vehicles, or expensive jewelry, you should treat that as a red flag. A reliable and trustworthy bondsman can ask for collateral when the amount at stake is high, but he/she will explain the risks of signing over your property as collateral.

Request for Personal Details Over Unsolicited Communication Channels

If you are under arrest and you receive an unsolicited phone call, text, or email from a person claiming to be a bondsman and ready to help you secure your release from jail immediately, you should treat that as a red flag. A reliable bail bondsman does not have to call arrestees with offers to help them secure their freedom following an arrest.

Misrepresentation of Bail Bond Terms and Promises of a Favorable Outcome on the Alleged Charge

Before accepting the services of any bondsman, you should read the terms and conditions of the bail bond. It is not uncommon for scammers posing as bail bondsmen to misrepresent the bond agreement terms or offer fake promises to emotional arrestees to convince them to accept their bail bond services.

If a bondsman offers to influence the outcome of the alleged charge, you should treat that as a red flag, indicating his/her incompetency, because only an attorney can do that.

Lower Bail Amount Offers

When you are in legal custody as a suspect for any offense, only the court can determine the amount you should pay as bail for your offense. If your prospective bail bondsman offers to help you secure a lower bail amount for an upfront cash incentive, you should consider that a red flag about his/her competence and reliability.

Securing your freedom on bail is a serious business. For some people, paying cash bail is not a problem, but for others, the most common way of securing their freedom upon an arrest is by seeking the services of a bail bondsman to post a bail bond on their behalf. The process is seamless and convenient, but it is easy to fall prey to bail bond scams, especially if it is your first time needing a bail bondsman's services.

Even if you are desperate to secure your freedom after an arrest, you should conduct background research about bail bond services before signing an agreement with any bondsman. When choosing a bail bondsman after an arrest, you should ensure he/she has proper licensing credentials from the Division of Insurance. Like any other business, a reliable bondsman must secure a practice to offer his/her services legally.

If your prospective bondsman is unlicensed, he/she is likely incompetent or does not meet the criteria necessary to secure a practice license. Other factors to consider when selecting a reliable bondsman after an arrest include the following:

  • The bondsman’s experience.

  • The bondsman’s reputation.

  • The bondsman’s location.

  • Whether the bondsman is available 24/7.

Paying keen attention to the above-explained red flags can help you avoid bail bond scams when navigating the stressful moments associated with an arrest and detainment. The rule of thumb when seeking the services of a bondsman is to verify the credibility and reliability of your prospective bail bondsman before signing any agreement with him/her.

If your guts or instincts tell you that your prospective bondsman is unreliable, chances are he/she is incompetent to offer you the quick bail bond services you need to receive your pretrial release from jail. Also, if your prospective bail bondsman offers deals that sound too good to be true, they probably are.

Find a Dependable Bail Bondsman Near Me

Understanding the tactics used by unscrupulous bondsmen is essential for navigating the complexities of the bail bond process after an arrest as a suspect in a criminal case. When your freedom and money are at stake, you cannot risk setting yourself up for the services of an untrustworthy and unreliable bail bondsman.

If you need quick bail bond services to secure your freedom upon arrest, our multilingual bail bondsmen at Express Bail Bonds can help. We invite you to call us at 702-633-2245 and let our profound bail bondsmen help you navigate the bail bond process to secure your temporary freedom without delay following an arrest in Las Vegas.