LAFAYETTE PARISH — A surge in police impersonation scams has been reported across Lafayette in recent weeks, with victims losing thousands of dollars to fraudsters using tactics such as caller ID spoofing and real officers' names.
The Lafayette Police Department (LPD) has seen an alarming rise in these scams over the past six weeks, with approximately 15 cases reported so far. Scammers have been using the names of actual officers from the Lafayette Police Department and the Lafayette Sheriff's Office to make their schemes more convincing.
Sergeant Robin Green, a spokesperson for the LPD, shared one troubling example: a scammer posing as her contacted a captain's sister, asking for money for a supposed fundraiser. In another case, a woman lost $3,000 after being tricked into believing she had missed jury duty and needed to pay a fine immediately. Arrest warrants have been issued for three individuals involved in this case, including one woman from Marrero charged with extortion.
Green emphasized that police will never call residents to request money over the phone. “If you have to pay a fine for a missed court date, jury duty, or even a ticket, you would not go to a kiosk in a convenience store or wire money to an unknown account. Those fines should be paid at the courthouse. That should be red flags right there,” she said.
Police are urging the public to stay vigilant and never provide personal or financial information over the phone. Before sending money, they recommend verifying the caller’s information and directly contacting the alleged agency or company involved.
