APSO warns of phone scam

Over the past two days, the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office has received complaints from citizens regarding a scam. This scam comes in the form of a phone call which the victim is advised that his grandchild has been injured and is in the hospital. The grandchild is reported to have serious injuries and in need of an immediate medical procedure. The victim / grandparent is requested to send thousands of dollars via an overnight carrier so the procedure can be done.
The scammer has accurate information regarding the victim and his grandchild (names), which makes this call seem realistic. One person has been victimized by sending money as the other was able to determine that the call was a scam before sending money. The address used for the victim to send money is believed to have a forwarding address outside of the Unite States.
People need to follow up with their family members and law enforcement should they receive calls like this. The calls are coming from a 913 area code, which is forwarded to another number outside of the U.S. Once money is sent, these type of cases are nearly impossible to solve as the suspects are outside of the United States.
We continue to advise our citizens to be cautious and check things out before just sending money to a stranger who is calling.