Friends, 

   As we are going through this trying time of COVID-19, let us caution you about a scam that has been brought to our attention. 

A person will call you claiming to be with a law enforcement agency. Upon establishing whom they are talking to, the person will advise that you owe a certain amount of money to an agency or government entity. After telling you this, they will tell you that they have sworn out a warrant for your arrest. They will then tell you that the warrant can be stopped by your complying with paying the debt owed to the agency. The person will ask for you debit/credit card number or ask you to get a cash card or money transfer service to take care of the debt. Most companies or agencies that debts are owed to have went through extensive processes to notify you of any owed debt or charges. So DO NOT GIVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION  to this person. This person is trying to scam you to get you account number or extort money from you that is not owed to them.

Victims of fraud should attempt to take down as much information from the caller as possible, including the phone number and details of the instructions provided to resolve the issue. They should then contact their local police department.

Phone scams targeting registered sex offenders in Allen Parish.

The scam works by someone calling a registered sex offender claiming to be a law enforcement official and telling them that they are not complying with their registration requirements. Sometimes the caller claims there is a warrant for the offender's arrest.

The caller then tells the offender that the only way they can resolve the issue is by buying a cash card or arranging a money transfer.

Anyone getting a call should not make any transaction without verifying that the call is valid, adding that law enforcement will never solicit registered sex offenders for money to comply with their registration requirements.

Issues with registration compliance are only resolved by an offender appearing at an approved registration site, or by personal contact with a law enforcement official.

Victims of fraud should attempt to take down as much information from the caller as possible, including the phone number and details of the instructions provided to resolve the issue. They should then contact their local police department.