Bossier Sheriff’s Office reports a scam in which some residents are receiving phone calls from people claiming there is a warrant for their arrest, and all they have to do is purchase a pre-paid debit card to avoid going to jail.
“This is nonsense and not the way the Sheriff’s Office operates,” said Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington. “It’s so unfortunate that scammers continue to prey on the fear of folks with the threat of jail time. Our deputies are not going to call you to say you owe money and tell you to send it in.”
Here are few safety tips to avoid being a victim of this scam and others:
If you receive a phone call from the Bossier Sheriff’s Office or other law enforcement officer and someone says you owe money to keep from going to jail, please ask for their name and where they are calling. Then tell them you will call them back; instead, call the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-2203 or your local law enforcement agency and report the scam.
Never pay anything over the phone…unless you initiated the phone call and you are confident in the transaction and business or person with whom you are dealing.
Remember, like with other types of scams (someone calling to say you’ve won the sweepstakes or a new car…and all you have to do is pay a small processing fee), IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!!
You can also call the Warrants Division of the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-3433 to inquire about a criminal warrant. You can also call the Bossier Sheriff’s Office Civil Department at (318) 965-3400 to check on any outstanding fines, court fees, probation fees, or property taxes you might have.
As always, you can report scams or any other types of crimes at any time to the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-2203.
