Ways to Spot a Scam Process Server
Your civil complaint is filed and the Denver County Clerk of Court has issued you a summons, so now it’s time to serve the defendants and witnesses in your case. You have a couple of options in Colorado when it comes to the serving process – law enforcement or a private individual. If you opt for law enforcement, then you’ll want to contact the sheriff’s department in the county where the process is to be served. If you’d rather just use a private individual, Colorado’s laws are actually pretty lenient on who that can be. As long as the person is 18 years old or older and is not a party to the case, they can serve the process for the case. However, there are always advantages to using a professional process service agency versus just asking a friend.
One of those advantages is that you won’t have to worry about being scammed for your cash and left with unserved paperwork, case delays, and possibly even case dismissal. Just like so many industries, scammers have proliferated in the process service field in states like Colorado, where the laws are so lax on who can serve process. Fraudsters take advantage of this lack of regulation and con unsuspecting plaintiffs (and sometimes even attorneys) out of their hard-earned cash by committing to serving the process, only to run off once payment is made without actually delivering anything.
So how do these process service scams in Colorado work?
Finding Your Information
The first thing these scammers must do is find out who needs a process server. Lucky for them, all Colorado court records can be easily searched online at sites like this one. Even if the scam server has to pay a few bucks to get a list of newly filed civil suits, it’s usually money well spent for them. Once the scammer has your info, their plan unfolds.
They Contact You First
Scam process servers are notorious for contacting plaintiffs out of the blue to offer their services. This is because scammers don’t want to list their information online for fear of being tracked down by police. During this initial contact, they’ll seem very knowledgeable about your case, since they’ll probably be looking at a copy of the complaint you filed and the summons that was subsequently issued. This knowledgeable appearance will lure you into a false sense of security, right before they put the hook on you.
Misleading Pricing
After the scam process server has eloquently described your case, they’ll do one of two things: make you a discounted offer to serve the process in your case that you’ll feel like you just can’t refuse – or – quote you a higher price to make themselves seem more credible. Their approach usually depends on the vibe they get from you during that initial contact.
Payment Upfront?
While amateur scammers will probably lowball you and just ask for the entire payment upfront, professional scammers know better. They’ll quote you a high price, then build even more rapport by not requiring any payment upfront or just a small deposit. This makes them seem even more legit, but the cold water is coming.
Delivery Successful
If you go ahead and pay one of these scammers their full quote price up front, you’ll surely never see or hear from them again. However, scammers that are going for the bigger bucks will keep in touch. They may even make several contacts with you claiming to have attempted service in various places, just to make you feel like they’re actually working on your case. Then, you’ll get a successful delivery call. Now, make no mistake, these scammers have not served any of the documents for your case…but they’re counting on you to take their word for it. That’s why they’ve been building up your trust this entire time, and also why they don’t have an online presence or any way to track process delivery. Chances are, you’ll accept their word that the process was served and send the final payment. Once you do, that scam server will disappear quicker than you can say, “You’ve been served!”
Skip the Scams
If you need process served for your Denver County civil case, skip the scams by going straight for Denver’s premier process service agency, Accurate Serve. Our servers are the best in the industry, handling your case quickly, discreetly, and professionally. Just give us a call at (303) 501-7121 or send us a work request online to get started today.