Bossier Sheriff’s Office reports of a scam in which residents are receiving phone calls from people claiming to be a Bossier Sheriff’s Office deputy trying to get money from them in order to keep them from going to jail.
The scammer tells the person they are a deputy (by name) with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office, and they have a warrant for their arrest because they did not show up for federal court. In order to keep from being arrested, they would have to pay money.
In one case today, the ‘victim’ put the scammer on hold and contacted the Bossier Sheriff’s Office directly, and they told her this was a scam. When the ‘victim’ switched back to the scammer and informed them they were an imposter, the scammer hung up.
“It’s so unfortunate that scammers continue to prey on the fear of folks with the threat of jail time,” said Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington. “That’s simply not how we operate, and I implore folks not to fall for it. Our deputies are not going to call you to say you owe money and tell you to send it in.”
Here are few safety tips to avoid being a victim of this scam and others:
- If you receive a phone call from the Bossier Sheriff’s Office or other law enforcement officer and someone says you owe money to keep from going to jail, please ask for their name and where they are calling. Then tell them you will call them back; instead, call the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-2203 or your local law enforcement agency and report the scam.
- Never pay anything over the phone…unless you initiated the phone call and you are confident in the transaction and business or person with whom you are dealing.
- Remember, like with other types of scams (someone calling to say you’ve won the sweepstakes or a new car…and all you have to do is pay a small processing fee), IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!!
Just in case you are concerned about any outstanding fines, court fees, probation fees, or property taxes you might have, you can contact the Bossier Sheriff’s Office Civil Department during normal working hours at (318) 965-3400 with any questions or come by the Bossier Parish Courthouse or either of the substations.
Or you can call the Warrants Division of the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-3433 to inquire about a criminal warrant.
As always, you can report scams or any other types of crimes at any time to the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-2203.