Scam targeting victims of domestic violence increases in Colorado; "Use your head, not your heart."

Colorado district attorneys are warning of a scam increasing in frequency that targets domestic violence victims.

"There were lots of signs, lots of signs, and I just ignored every single one of them," a Douglas County scam victim said. She shared her story with CBS Colorado, but asked that she be kept anonymous.

The woman says emotion clouded her judgment when she answered a phone call in August.

"This is the Douglas County Sheriff's Office," the man on the other end said in a recording, the woman explained. She told her he could help get a loved one out of jail.

"He tells me that he's got an opportunity to be able to release this person if I give him such such and such," she said.

He offered an amount much lower than the actual bail, and she hurried to pay $1,700 over Cash App.

"Me wanting to jump into action and try and help. My adrenaline's going," she said.

But the transactions wouldn't go through.

"He starts pressuring me, you know, go to the ATM," she said.

She wasn't able to get the money at the ATM, because she says it had already been withdrawn from her accounts based on the earlier transaction attempts. And, after hours, the man gave up.

When the woman learned he'd also called a family member of the person in jail, she realized it was likely a scam.

"Really stupid. Really stupid. Yeah, I think you know my heart and my emotions took over. I wasn't thinking about anything else," she said.

Luckily, something she'd forgotten protected her.

"What I hadn't thought about, because I was so rattled, is that I had my cards locked," she said.

The number that called her was linked to Atlanta, Georgia. When CBS Colorado tired to call it, there was no success getting someone to answer.

District attorneys in Douglas and Jefferson counties have gotten several reports of this scam.They say the scammers target domestic violence victims, likely with the help of publicly available case information.

"How do they find out who I am, or who that person is that's in there? Or who the family member is, and then where do they get the phone numbers?" the woman said.

Many of the vulnerable victims have lost thousands of dollars.

"I'm glad that I didn't lose $1,700, you know, and I feel really, really bad for people that have lost a lot of money, maybe even their entire savings," she said. "I think it could probably throw somebody off the deep end."

Now, this woman wants to stop others from falling victim.

"If I can help not let that happen to somebody else, then that's good," she said. "Use your head, not your heart. I guess."