Phone Scam Making the Rounds Again in Caddo Parish

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator is warning citizens of a scam where callers claim to have information about a friend or family member in need of help.

Someone is calling residents and telling them they have a loved one either in jail, stranded in a foreign country or involved in some type of emergency and needs money transferred or put on a money card. The scammer may say he's a police officer, and will insist the money request be kept a secret.

Prator says this scam is not new to the area and is circulating across the country. Scammers are able to get your information through social networking sites and email.

The Sheriff's Office and the Federal Trade Commission say you should never give money to a stranger or react without first verifying an emergency. Here are some tips if you should happen to get one of these calls:

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the person’s identity by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.
• Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.
• Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
• Don’t wire money - or send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier.