Sheriff Jay Russell Warns Residents of Phone Scams

The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies in our region, has received reports from residents recently involving various phone scams. The caller may represent themselves as a representative for the IRS calling for taxes owed; a representative of a local utility company calling to collect a past due bill, or even a local law enforcement agency stating a warrant is issued but can be paid off by phone.  These are just 3 examples of these type calls and there are several variations used nationwide. The common link is that all ask for credit card and personal information.

Sheriff Russell reminds residents to never give out credit card or other personal information to unsolicited calls received of this nature as they are scams. Don’t assume the ID information of the caller displayed on your phone is accurate as any phone number can be masked.

Should you receive any calls of this nature or that you suspect is a scam, notify your local law enforcement agency.