Louisiana Man Allegedly Tries to Extort Money From Florida Woman

LAKE ARTHUR, La. (KPEL News) - 47-year-old Michael James Hines of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, faces a host of charges after he allegedly tried to use nude photos sent to him by a Largo, Florida, woman to get extortion money from the victim.

According to the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff's Office, this case goes back to July 12, 2022, when the Largo Police Department contacted JPSO detectives that the victim was being extorted for money. Investigators say Hines posed as a female in order to get the naked pictures from the victim then threatened to distribute the photos of her is she did not send Hines $1,000.00. JPSO deputies then obtained an arrest warrant.

On Valentine's Day, Hines was found, arrested, and booked into the Jeff Davis Parish Jail for Extortion, Computer Fraud, Online Impersonation, and Criminal Use of the Internet.

Potential Medicare Scam in St. Landry Parish

While we are on the topic of scams, we want to make you aware of a potential scam involving robocalls that falsely claim to be from Medicare. According to St. Landry Crime Stoppers, this is a scam trying to trick beneficiaries into giving out their Medicare number and other personal information.

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) gives these tips for dealing with questionable (and fraudulent) calls:

Do not give your Medicare number or other personal information to strangers.
Review your medical statements for potential errors, fraud, or abuse.
If you have been a victim of this scam or to learn more, call Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-272-8720

"Use common sense and don't be a victim!" says Deputy Chief Eddie Thibodeaux. "If you see something - say something. Keep an eye on your neighbor's properties and report ANY suspicious activity to law enforcement."

LOOK: The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them

Using data from the BBB Scam Tracker Annual Risk Report, Stacker identified the most common and costly types of scams in 2022.

Expert Tips for Avoiding Online Shopping Scams

In order to avoid a scammer getting the better of you, check out the following red flags to look out for as well as preventative measures to take from Dr. Skiba, AKA Dr. Fraud himself: