Last week, I wrote about the importance of staying weather aware during this stormy season in Northwest Louisiana. But this week, I’d like to shift focus to another type of storm—one that’s less visible but just as damaging if you’re not prepared.
I’m talking about scams—the kind that prey on your trust, your technology, and your hard-earned money.
Just days ago, our community hosted an important event at the Minden Community House titled, “You’re Being Scammed!” The seminar, led by experts from the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions and Minden Police Department, was designed to educate the public about the many ways scammers operate, from phone and email fraud to credit card theft.
As fate would have it, only a few days later, we reported on a real-life example of fraud happening right here in Minden. A credit card skimmer was discovered at a local grocery store — exactly the kind of scam that was discussed during the seminar.
It’s a reminder that this issue is not abstract or distant. It’s happening here. And it underscores just how important these kinds of awareness efforts are for all of us—young and old alike.
The scammers aren’t slowing down. In fact, they’re getting more sophisticated.
Fortunately, events like the scam seminar help arm our community with practical tools to stay vigilant. Here are a few best practices that were shared—worth clipping out and keeping handy:
Top Scam Prevention Tips
- Don’t share personal info over the phone unless you initiated the call and are sure of the recipient’s identity.
- Check your bank statements regularly. Look for small, unexplained charges—they may be a test before a larger fraud attempt.
- Be cautious at the pump. Tug on card readers before inserting your card. If the machine looks tampered with or loose, pay inside instead.
- Use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts. Consider a password manager to keep things secure.
- Enable alerts from your bank for every transaction, so you’ll be notified immediately of any unusual activity.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers often use urgency or enticing rewards to pressure you into quick decisions.
At the heart of both the seminar and this recent local incident is one truth: Education is your best defense. When we know what to look for—and take simple steps to protect ourselves—we can stay one step ahead of those trying to take advantage of us.
To the organizers of the You’re Being Scammed seminar, thank you for bringing this important issue into the spotlight. And to all our readers: let’s stay aware, stay connected, and protect each other from these ever-evolving threats.
Scammers are counting on you to be distracted, uninformed, or in a hurry. Let’s not give them the satisfaction.
Stay smart, Minden.
—
David Specht is president of Specht Newspapers, Inc., Publisher of the Minden Press-Herald, Bossier Press-Tribune, and BIZ Magazine.