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It should be no surprise to you that lots of thieves would love to steal your hard earned money.  Some of them have even learned how to prey on your desire to stay on the right side of the law.  These are the crafty criminals the Louisiana State Police (LSP) are warning residents of the state to be on the lookout for.

According to WWLTV, a scammer (or group of scammers) are spoofing a legitimate looking LSP phone number in order to convince their marks (the victim) that they are under police investigation.  Officials say that these outlaws have been known to use a number that comes up as "State Police Troop B 504-471-2775."

Victims of this particular scam say that the "official" on the other end of the line claims that they are under investigation or there is a warrant for their arrest.  There are a few red flags that indicate this is a straight-up scam job, but the most obvious one is the method these fake law enforcement officers offer to clear your name - gift cards.

I don't know about you, but the last time I got a speeding ticket - I wasn't told to pay it with a prepaid visa gift card.  I had to pay with a regular (and traceable) method, and for that matter receipts were given to show what I had paid.  These phone grifters, put the pressure on the victim to do just that.

The LSP's policies and procedures don't allow for this kind of fine collection, and they would never call you up and offer to settle your fines with a prepaid card.  To think they would call off an investigation for money is even more ridiculous as it amounts to a bribe.

If you suspect you are being targeted by this kind of scam there are some steps you should take.  According to the report, if you get a call like this you should:

·         Ask questions in order to verify the caller’s identity.

·         Do not give or verify personal information.

·         Ask for a callback number.

·         Ask to speak to a supervisor.

Trust your gut on this one.  If it doesn't sound legit, it probably isn't.  If this has already happened to you, make sure to file a report with the LSP on their official page here.

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