While there have been NO reports of this scam occurring in St. James Parish, we would like to share this info in the event it does happen. Please read the shared info from Ascension Parish, and should anyone from St. James receive any phone calls, or other means of contact concerting this type or any potential scam, please call us immediately.
The St James Parish Sheriff’s Office does not initiate contact with citizens by telephone or email to request financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The St James Parish Sheriff’s Office also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the St James Parish Sheriff’s office, or any other agency, and you feel it is a scam, you should report the incident immediately to the St James Parish Sheriff’s Office at (225)562-2200.
ASCENSION PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
WARNS OF PHONE SCAMS
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office has received reports related to a telephone scam in which the caller identification purports that the call is coming from the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office (Caller ID spoofing).
Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to indicate to the receiver of a call that the originator of the call is a location other than the true originating location. One victim was told they owe money to the IRS and that it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded Green Dot Card or wire transfer.
Another victim was advised that they owed money for a non-sufficient fund check that they had written in 2012. In both cases, the victims were advised that if a payment was not received immediately that they would be arrested within an hour.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office does not ask for credit card numbers, pre-paid debit card information, or other private information over the phone, if you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office or any other government agency, here’s what you should do:
‘¢ Do not give out any of your personal information to the caller.
‘¢ Do not purchase pre-paid money cards and give the caller the information on the cards
‘¢ Advise the caller that you will be contacting local law enforcement to report the incident
Citizens are also advised to be aware of other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from any government agency.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office does not initiate contact with citizens by telephone or email to request financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office, or any other agency, and you feel it is a scam, you should report the incident immediately to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office at (225)621-8300, extension 1.