Minden residents gathered recently for an important seminar on scam awareness, where local law enforcement and financial experts shared insights on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud. The event featured speakers from various fields, including Tracy L. Campbell from Meriwether Wealth & Planning, Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker, Minden Police Chief Jared McIver, Jack E. Byrd Jr. from b1BANK, and Lynn Higgins, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent for the FBI New Orleans Division/Shreveport Resident Agency. The event aimed to educate the public on the rising prevalence of scams and provide guidance on how to recognize fraudulent activities.
“Each person here tonight cares about you, myself included. We know that scams are out of control, and if we just help even one or two people tonight avoid becoming a victim, we’ll feel that tonight has been a success,” said Campbell.
According to Minden Police Chief Jared McIver, scam-related crimes are becoming a significant burden on law enforcement. “We are dealing with cryptocurrency, scams with emails, phone calls, text messages. The list continues to go on. We tried to do an average today with our detectives, and we’re somewhere between 60-65% of my detectives’ efforts right now in scam investigations. That’s how prevalent it is in the city,” said McIver.
One major scam discussed was fraudulent sweepstakes and lottery schemes, in which victims are told they’ve won a large sum of money but must send payment—often in gift cards or cryptocurrency—to claim their winnings.
“A legitimate business is not going to ask anyone to go out and buy cryptocurrency to send to them or a gift card. So if you get those calls, please, hang up and don’t give out any information, because it is 100% a scam,” McIver warned.
Jack E. Byrd Jr. of b1BANK recounted a real-life example where he intervened before a scam could succeed.
“A situation that happened not very long ago, where I just happened to be standing next to a teller when he asked for a large amount of money, and I inquired, tell me exactly what you’re going to do, we want to make sure you’re safe, and he said, ‘Well, I won the lottery and I need to send $15,000.’ I asked where and he said, ‘Well here,’ reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, and said ‘You can talk to him,’” said Byrd. After taking the phone, Byrd said the scammer quickly hung up. “When we inquire, we’re not trying to be nosy. We’re trying to help you.”
Sheriff Parker echoed the warnings about lottery scams, detailing a case where a local resident lost a staggering amount of money.
“Just like the chief said, the lottery-type scams that are going around here in our local community got an individual around $200,000 here recently,” Parker said.
Parker explained that scammers often lure victims by initially giving them a small sum of money to gain their trust before demanding larger payments for supposed legal or administrative fees.
“Here’s a $1500 check to get you started, but for us to get this going you need to pay some attorney fees. The next thing you know, we need some more money for a transfer, and by the time you look at it, you’ve lost $200,000,” said Parker.
Scammers are also using new tactics, including deceptive QR codes that appear on unexpected packages.
“One thing that our detectives are dealing with now is the QR codes a lot of UPS packages and Amazon packages deliver to your residence. If you did not order an Amazon package or weren’t expecting one, and you’re being directed to scan the QR code with your phone, don’t. If you do that, then they have direct access to your phone, and all your personal information can be stolen,” warned Parker.
Fake tax and utility bills were another major concern highlighted during the seminar.
“It looks just like an energy bill that you would normally get. Just a few changes in there that came to a local company here in Webster Parish. He had already paid this bill, then got his original bill and was scratching his head thinking he just got through with that,” Parker explained.
He advised residents to be extra cautious when receiving unexpected financial demands.
“If you see something that you’re not expecting, that’s probably a good reason to think that it could be a scam.”
Agent Higgins warned that cryptocurrency scams, often tied to romance fraud, are particularly challenging to recover from.
“What we’re also seeing a lot of is, as you mentioned before, cryptocurrency. A lot of those start from the romance scams,” Higgins said.
“Unfortunately, cryptocurrency is really difficult for anyone to claw back. It jumps around and goes all over the world, and if you’ve invested in a cryptocurrency scam, it’s gone. We’ve seen millions of dollars go out the door with those.”
Following the recent hailstorm, there has been an increase in fraudulent door-to-door salesmen posing as roofing or window replacement businesses.
“It may even get to the point where they want your information or ask for a partial down payment before they start, and you won’t get anything,” said McIver.
He urged residents to report such encounters immediately.
“The moment they show up, don’t entertain it. Get on the phone, call the police department, allow us to come out there, figure out who they are, what they’re doing, if they’re permitted to be there.”
Campbell recommended using established, local businesses for home repairs.
“Deal with people you know. We have great local roofers. We have local people who install windows and have been doing it for decades. I want to know that if I have a problem with that roof, I’ll be able to call these people to come back and fix it,” said Campbell.
The seminar provided valuable information to help residents recognize and avoid scams. Local officials stressed the importance of staying informed and vigilant, and they encouraged the community to report any suspicious activities to law enforcement.
By working together, the residents of Minden can help protect themselves and their neighbors from the ever-growing threat of fraud.
Cutline: Business Experts, Federal Agents, and Law Enforcement Officials delivered a seminar on scam awareness to help educate local citizens on signs to look out for to avoid being taken advantage of by scammers.
Business experts, federal agents, and law enforcement officials delivered a seminar on scam awareness to help educate local citizens on ways to avoid being taken advantage of by scammers.