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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/blessedxthankful on 2026-05-20 14:37:39+00:00.

I 25F was in the middle of working while my brother’s wife Facebook messages me to call her, it is urgent. For background, my brother is in his late 30s and we are not close. We haven’t seen each other in years but occasionally text. From what I hear from my dad, he is an alcoholic and hasn’t worked in years. My dad gives him money so that him and his wife do not get evicted from their apartment, but that’s all I know. My dad recently cut him off, hence me being reached out to over my dad. My brother has been with his wife for a few years but they just got married at courthouse a few weeks ago. I’ve only met her once and it was brief. They allegedly have a toxic relationship where they get drunk and fight 24/7.

I call the wife since she requested and she says my brother was arrested Monday evening. He was drunk, they fought, he pulled her hair so she called the cops. She says they are both broke and his bail is $600 but that she has been talking to an officer who says the bail can be decreased to $280 if my brother does a mandatory 6 week anger management program + wears an ankle monitor. She asks me for the money. I ask to speak to the officer and call him. We go back and forth a bit. We specifically spoke about my brothers charges, the 6 week program and I confirmed all the wife needs to do is bail him out and pick him up. I send her the money and 2 hours later she calls me crying saying that officer was a scammer. I asked how is it a scam if she brought the money to a bail bondsman and she said “I didn’t bring it there. The officer told me to go to a Walgreens and put it on a Walgreens card.” WHAT? She thought a Walgreens card would bail my brother out of jail? When I spoke to the “officer” a Walgreens card was never mentioned, I would have blocked him immediately.

I am embarrassed and feel stupid for giving my money out so easily but I was in the middle of working, exhausted, and wanted to get my brother out of jail. Now he is still sitting there and $280 is down the drain. I am laughing about this now because it’s just insane. It might be for the best that he stays in there a little longer to sober up.

So yeah, TIFU tremendously!!!

TL;DR Gave bail money too quickly