Don’t Pay Someone Claiming to Be Louisiana State Police, It’s a Scam

It seems like anytime we turn around lately there is some sort of scam that we have to tell you about. Unfortunately, it really is the case. Scams are becoming more prevalent each day, and we try to do our best to give you an edge so you can defend yourself.

Let this sink in for a minute. The makers of the app Truecaller estimate that 70 million people in America fell victim to a phone scam last year in which they lost money. That's 70 million people which translates into one of every five people in our country who have been scammed out of money over the phone.

Just today a colleague was telling me a story about a gentleman in a grocery store where the staff was trying to explain to this man that buying a $500 gift card for someone over the phone means he will likely never get his money back.

Something else to let sink in is the fact that tens of billions of dollars are stolen in these types of scams. I can see how it's easy to get caught in a scheme especially if the person calling says they are a trooper with Louisiana State Police, and I owe them money.

If someone calls you claiming to be from Louisiana State Police asking for your personal information and/or money then it's a scam. Louisiana State Police officials say they have heard of stories where this is happening all across the state of Louisiana.

The best thing to do when something like this happens is to hang up the phone. Even if the phone number appears to be from Louisiana State Police there are devices that can allow any scammer to make it appear that LSP is calling you.

Louisiana State Police Spokeswoman Melissa Matey says Louisiana State Police is not going to call you and ask personal things. The press release states,

The Louisiana State Police would never ask for any type of personal identifying information, payment, or monetary donation over the phone.

Please make sure if anything like this has happened to you that you report it to law enforcement. State Police officials want you to also call their Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Center (LA-SAFE) at 225-925-4192.

And don't be shy about explaining to someone that you have done this. It's the scammers who should be ashamed or made to feel guilty. You have done nothing wrong. Reporting these things to law enforcement gives the power back to you and not the criminals.