Vermilion Parish, LA — Sheriff Eddie Langlinais is alerting the public to a phone scam currently targeting residents of Vermilion Parish.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office has received a report of individuals impersonating law enforcement officers and fraudulently using official Sheriff’s Office phone numbers to solicit large payments in the form of Bitcoin.
The impersonator also used Sheriff Eddie Langlinais’ name in the conversation in an effort to convince the recipient of the call that it was a legitimate call.
Sheriff Langlinais emphasizes that, with the exception of Property Taxes, neither he nor any member of the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office will ever contact individuals by phone to request payment of any kind. Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Office does not accept Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
Sheriff Langlinais urges the public to be vigilant and refrain from sending currency of any form, and if you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and report it to our office.
The scammers are reportedly using caller ID spoofing technology to make it appear as though the call is coming from an official Sheriff’s Office number, further lending credibility to their fraudulent demands.
Residents are encouraged to protect themselves by:
• Never sending money or cryptocurrency in response to unsolicited calls.
• Not sharing personal or financial information with unknown callers.
• Contacting the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division directly at (337) 898-4403 if they receive such a call.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by this scam is urged to report the incident to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office or their local law enforcement agency.
