11.12.20 – WWL — Baton Rouge, La.
The scam has changed the display phone number you see to that of Louisiana State Troop B.
Louisiana State Police are warning people who get a phone call from a scammer pretending to represent the police.
They say a scammer is placing calls and have been able to ‘spoof’ the system so it appears that the phone number calling you is State Police Troop B. (504-471-2775.)
Calls have been made to several people in the Orleans and Jefferson Parish area claiming that the person receiving the call is either under investigation for a crime or have an outstanding warrant against them.01:27 / 07:33BYhttps://eb11d6c34c07e0073e300ba17f9f6355.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
The scammer then asks for money or gift cards so that they won’t have to make an arrest.
Troopers say they want the public to know that these phone calls are fictitious and in no way reflect Louisiana State Police practices or procedures.
They say they don’t solicit the collection of any fines associated with a criminal proceeding by phone call and advise if you receive a call like this, you should….
- Ask questions in order to verify the caller’s identity.
- Do not give or verify personal information.
- Ask for a callback number.
- Independently verify and call the purported agency.
- Ask to speak to a supervisor.
- Spread the word to family and friends.
- If it does not sound legitimate, most likely it is not.
- Law enforcement will not call and demand money in lieu of prosecution.
If you or someone you know may have been victimized by this type of crime, The Louisiana State Police online reporting system is available to the public through a convenient and secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. Citizens can access the form by visiting the lsp.org and click the “suspicious activity” link.