Thibodaux Police Chief Bryan Zeringue is reminding residents to be aware and familiarize themselves with signs of phone scams to avoid becoming a victim. There have been reports of a specific scam recently targeting area residents. The scam involves the scammer posing as a law enforcement representative, requesting the victim to send money through a cash app in exchange to clear an alleged warrant.
While many scams take on different forms, they most commonly take the form of someone asking for immediate payment such as this one. If you believe you’ve encountered a scam phone call, hang up the phone and block the number immediately. You can also download apps which can help identify a scam or spam calls. If you believe the call may be legitimate, ask for information from the caller such as the caller’s name and/or company. Search for the company to see if you can find a contact number and/or email address. Contact that company or in this case the police department to confirm the legitimacy of the call.
If you lose money in a scam or receive threats of physical harm or violence, you should report it to the Thibodaux Police Department (985) 446-5021 or the jurisdictional agency in which the incident took place.