U.S. Marshals Service warns Louisiana residents about scam calls, spoofing

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Officials with the U.S. Marshals Service Eastern District of Louisiana are warning residents about a phone scam that involves impersonating law enforcement and government officials.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the scam involves a technique called “spoofing” that allows someone to modify a phone number to make it appear as if it is a local number on a person’s caller ID.

Food lineup announced for 2024 Beignet Fest in New Orleans

U.S. Marshals Service officials said these spoofed numbers can be made to appear as if someone is getting a call from a government agency or law enforcement office.

They said callers will then use the spoofed phone numbers to tell victims they can avoid being arrested by paying a fine by sending money, buying a prepaid debit card or gift card and sharing information over the phone.

U.S. Marshals officials said anyone who receives a suspicious phone call should report it their local FBI Office and the Federal Trade Commission.

GalaxyCon to make New Orleans debut in 2025

The U.S. Marshals Service also provided the following tips for what to do if you receive a scam call and how to report it:

• U.S. Marshals will never ask for credit card information, debit card information, gift card numbers, wire transfers or bank routing numbers.

• Don’t give out personal or financial information to callers you do not know.

• Report scam calls to your local FBI office and the FTC. You can make an anonymous report.

• “If a scammer provides a court order, authenticate the call by calling the clerk of court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and verify the court order given by the caller.”

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

Latest Posts

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.