Special to
L’Observateur

Baton Rouge — Following a rash of recent complaints, Louisiana State Police are cautioning the public about a phone scam fraudulently using the authority of the Louisiana State Police in an effort to obtain money from victims.

According to complaints, the impersonators contact the home or cell phone of potential victims by using a call that gives the appearance of originating from Louisiana State Police or possibly another local law enforcement agency.

The fraudulent caller proceeds to address the potential victim by name and inform them they or a family member has an arrest warrant and is wanted by Troopers. 

Subsequently, in order to avoid arrest and/or imprisonment, the victim must then call the provided phone number and make arrangements for payment.  

Troopers stress residents should never give unsolicited callers any personal information, and the Louisiana State Police would never ask for payment over the phone or negotiate payment in lieu of arrest.

Troopers urge those who receive suspected fraudulent calls to contact the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations at 225-925-1739 or the Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Center at 225-925-6213.

The Louisiana State Police on-line reporting system is also available to the public through a secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. Access the form by visitingLSP.org and clicking the “Suspicious Activity” link.

In addition, Troopers encourage the use of the “See Something, Send Something” application, a free smart phone application that allows suspicious activity to be captured as a photo and text and sent directly to LA-SAFE, where the tips and information can be evaluated and then forwarded to law enforcement across the state as needed.