Scammers are using the Acadia Parish Sheriff Department’s phone number to steal residents’ identity, and eventually their money.

Phone scams have been around for years. With new technology, scammers are now using local numbers to call residents in an attempt to extort money.

“What our biggest concern was, over the fact that how they are using law enforcement local law-enforcement to try to intimidate local people,” said K.P. Gibson, Acadia Parish Sheriff.

The scammers are intimidating victims by claiming they owe taxes and will be arrested if they don’t pay immediately.

“The IRS is not going to cut a warrant for you without auditing you. They’re going to do it through a process, it’s not ‘Hey, send us money now,’” said Gibson.

Since these scammers are using the Acadia Parish Sheriff Department’s phone number residents are more inclined to send money for fear of being arrested.

“When you get to the elderly people who may not you know, ‘oh my gosh my life savings,’ or ‘oh my gosh they’re going to take me to jail’ and they don’t realize ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’,” said Gibson.

Gibson’s best advice is to be smart.

“If you’re not sure call local law-enforcement, don’t fear local law-enforcement with something that you know you haven’t done.”