The United States Marshal Services Western District of Louisiana has issued a warning to the public about a scam involving individuals and groups posing as U.S. Marshals.
The District says that these scammers are attempting to solicit "fines" from the public by calling and telling victims they have missed federal jury duty. The scammers then tell victims that they can avoid arrest by paying a fine.
The individuals, according to the U.S. Marshal, have used various names and titles when contacting victims in the Western District of Louisiana. The U.S. Marshal says the individuals may also call victims posing as other law enforcement agents.
The District says that the titles, information, and badge numbers provided by the scammers may be legitimate and that the scam may appear to be credible to victims. The Marshal’s Office says that the scammers also leave voicemails and have set up fake voicemail prompts and inboxes in an attempt to convince victims they are legitimate.
The Marshal’s Office asks that if anyone receives a call related to jury-duty they should not provide any personal information or money to the caller. Officials say that federal courts do not make calls to prospective jurors or ask for money or personal identification.
Those who may have been affected by this scam in the Western District of Louisiana are asked to report the incident to local law enforcement, the local FBI, or the U.S. Marshal Service in Shreveport at 318-934-4300.
