Family Duped by Fake "Bail-Bonds Specialist"

• March 10, 2009
• by Collateral Staff

Two California families were scammed out of thousands of dollars after being referred to a "bail bonds specialist" by Catholic Charities. The "specialist", Estrella Hernandez, stopped returning the families' calls after $1,300 had been wired to Oregon by one family, $2,000 by another. The Ochoa family later found out the defendant was not even eligible for bail a month after they had wired to money to Hernandez.

Catholic Charities had obtained Hernandez's number after she had called offering free bail service and have since reviewed their referral list and their volunteer phone protocol.