St. Mary Sheriff Warns Of Recent Phone Scams

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert is warning residents of a familiar phone scam that seems it may be coming from a local electric company.

The sheriff's office received a report of a phone scam where the caller posed as a representative of the Cleco Electric Corporation. The complainant said the caller threatened to turn off electricity to their residence unless money was sent immediately.

Sheriff's spokesperson Traci Landry said the hallmark for scams such as these is that the caller attempts to instill a sense of urgency.

"St. Mary residents and businesses need to be aware of these types of scams," Landry said. "You should never give out personal information over the phone or send/wire money unless you are the one who initiated the call to a company through an established phone number."