SCAM: “Your Child/Grandchild was arrested…”
DeSoto Parish Deputies were alerted this week of a scam attempt on a resident in our community. Luckily, this resident did the right thing and did not fall victim. The following is a known scam, but we haven’t shared it in a while…
HOW IT WORKS:
You receive a call from what appears to be law enforcement, correctional facility, or a lawyer. The caller informs you that your child, grandchild, etc. has been involved in a crime and is being held or arrested by an agency. Often times this is followed by another caller claiming to be an attorney who is assisting your child/grandchild. They may already know your name, or the name of your child/grandchild, which makes their story that much more believable.
WHAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING:
These scammers have been known to have very believable stories, depending on the circumstance or person. They are attempting to get you to send them money to help your child/grandchild out of jail. Sadly, many elderly citizens fall victim to this due to a lack of helpful information, and a noble desire to help their family in need.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
It’s pretty simple, do not give any information to an unsolicited caller. Do not ask for any contact numbers to verify their story either. Tell the caller you are going to hang up, and you will call the agency yourself. End the conversation and hang up immediately. At that time, make an attempt to contact your child/grandchild first to confirm if the story is factual or not. If you cannot get hold of them, contact your local law enforcement agency in an attempt to verify. You can call us at (318) 872-3956 and ask to speak to the Deputy of Public Relations, Mark Pierce. We will make every effort to assist you in verifying the story through our agency or other agencies. But do not, under any circumstances, send money to or buy gift cards for the unsolicited caller.
** What we mean by UNSOLICITED caller:
It means you received the call completely unaware that anything was going on. And they called you with an unbelievable story with just the right amount of believable details. This in itself should be your first red flag. Hang up and make your own attempts to verify before falling victim.
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