(The Center Square) – Fake parking citations are being placed on cars throughout Louisiana’s third-largest city, prompting the Shreveport Police Department to warn residents of the ongoing scam.
The fake citation is printed on colored paper with a QR code that brings victims of the fraudulent ticket to a Venmo account called “Parking Citations,” requesting $20 for expired meter, no parking zone, fire lane, handicapped parking with no permit, blocking a driveway or overtime parking.
“We have had several calls about this,” said Bordelon told The Center Square.
The department is being proactive about the issue before reports get filed.
According to a press release from the department, whoever is responsible could face theft, forgery and other charges.
Just last month, the department warned residents about individuals impersonating officers through a phone call scam. Those who fell victim to the scam were told they owed money, had a warrant or must make a payment to avoid being arrested. These scam callers were prompting payment in the form of gift cards, wire transfers and apps like Venmo.
“To date, the Shreveport Police Department has not encountered any instances of fraudulent tickets,” said Bordelon. “In the past, we have dealt with individuals making phone calls claiming to represent the city jail or the police department. While there have been various scams involving individuals impersonating law enforcement to solicit money, we have not seen any cases where fake tickets were actually printed and issued.”
A 2024 report released by the Public Interest Network showed that in a 12-month period, Americans lost over $25.4 billion to phone scammers. More than 56 million people reported getting spam calls requesting money.
Those 65 and older received, on average, 35 spam calls a month in the United States during 2024.
The same kind of incident happened in February, which the department called the “One Ring” scam. Individuals were calling Shreveport residents and hanging up after one ring. If and when they called back, they would have mysterious and outrageous charges on their phone bills for “premium services.”
