ST. MARTINVILLE, La. (KLFY) -- A St. Martinville resident received a phone call from a scam artist that posed as St. Martin Parish Sheriff Becket Breaux last week, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The caller claimed that the recipient had an outstanding warrant for their arrest in reference to items they purchased through a magazine. The caller also said that the FBI was also looking for them in connection with the incident.

The caller I.D. on the victim's phone indicated that the call was from St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, which is called spoofing. Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity.

The caller, posing as Breaux, instructed the victim to purchase gift cards in the amount of $2,000 at Dollar General, authorities said. The caller remained on the phone with the complainant as they completed each transaction and then instructed them to provide them with the gift card numbers and CVV codes on each card.

Breaux urges the public to be aware of these types of scams. They often use scare tactics to persuade their victims to comply. Never provide information such as your social security number, checking or savings account information or credit card information over the phone.

The St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office said it will never solicit funds of any type over the phone.

If you receive a fraudulent phone call, hang up and call your local enforcement agency to report it.

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