JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Authorities in multiple parishes are warning people to beware of a phone scam floating around Louisiana.
The phone scam takes slightly different variations, but all have a common theme of extorting money from the victim by claiming there is a warrant for their arrest and must pay to “get it cleared.”
In the last week, authorities have warned about this particular phone scam.
In Jefferson Parish, the Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court warns residents that the scammers pose as law enforcement or court personnel and claim that the victim missed jury duty or a court date and must immediately pay an amount to avoid the threat of arrest.
They say these calls can appear to come from legitimate law enforcement or court phone numbers, and the scammer even uses names of actual law enforcement officers or court personnel.
The scam caller then demands payment in a variety of ways, including by prepaid credit cards, gift cards, wire transfers, cash, checks, money transfer kiosks, or even by providing bank account and routing numbers.
The Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court says the court agencies will never call or text asking for this type of payment.
They say the best thing you can do is to hang up and call the Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court directly at (504) 364-2900.
This phone scam has also popped up in St. Bernard Parish and Tangipahoa Parish.
The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office says they have received complaints that scammers would call people claiming to be a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office and instruct the victim to purchase gift cards, go to an ATM, or wire money, to avoid the warrant and avoid arrest for being in contempt of court.
The SBSO also warns the number seen on the caller ID may not be accurate and could be spoofed by the caller.
The best option is to hang up and call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501.
A similar phone scam has targeted people in Tangipahoa Parish.
Sheriff Daniel Edwards says the scammer claims the victim has arrest warrants and that the victim needed to put $2,500 at the kiosk at Albertsons and obtain a "receipt" to "clear the warrants".
The sheriff says the scammer would use intimidation to pressure the victim into giving them money.
The sheriff says if anyone receives such a phone call, they are encouraged to hang up the phone immediately and contact the Sheriff's Office at (985)-748-8147.
The phone scam is not limited to people in these parishes. If you receive a suspicious phone call similar to this, the best advice authorities give is to not provide any personal information, hang up, and call the authorities in your parish.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.