The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of a current telephone scam that apparently started within the past 24 hours. Scammers are masking their phone number to show up on caller IDs as Ouachita Parish. Once the phone is answered, the scammer tells the victim the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office has a warrant for their arrest and they must give personal and credit card information to pay the fine or bond immediately or deputies will be dispatched to arrest them and bring them to OCC.
This is a scam. It is a variation of scams that operate throughout the country daily. The wording varies, but the one common thread is that the caller always advises the fine or fee can be paid by phone and asks for personal card or account information.
If you receive any phone calls with someone asking for any of your personal information or credit card information, DO NOT GIVE OUT ANY INFO. The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office will never call to request this type of information and never solicits any type of cash transaction by phone. Should you receive any calls of this nature, report it to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office or your respective law enforcement agency should you live in another parish.
Tips to protect yourself:
1. Don’t assume that the information displayed on your phone, regarding who the caller is, is accurate, any phone number can be masked.
2. Never give out personal or financial information over the phone unless you know EXACTLY whom you’re dealing with.
3. If you have doubts about who’s on the phone, call the main number of the agency they claim to represent rather than talking to the person who calls you.