Already worried about loved ones behind bars, relatives of people jailed at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center in St. Charles Parish are now getting alarming calls from impostors who claim they can spring inmates from custody in exchange for quick payments via Apple Pay or retail gift cards. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office says callers have even dropped the name of Sgt. Jason Guidry to sound official, often insisting that only a small slice of a judge-set bond is needed to secure release, which is a classic warning sign.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office warned that scammers are pulling names from the jail roster, then phoning relatives and insisting that payment must be made immediately through Apple Pay or gift cards. According to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, the callers claim families can put up only part of the bond to get someone released, then push hard for on-the-spot payment.
The sheriff's website urges residents to hang up on those calls and verify any claim through official channels instead of reacting to pressure. Per the office's St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office guidance, people should contact the sheriff's non-emergency line at (985) 783-6807 before sending money and keep in mind that bond amounts are set by judges, not deputies.
How Scammers Try To Make It Look Real
Scammers often lean on urgency, threats of arrest and tidbits pulled from public records to push families into paying before they have time to think. The Federal Trade Commission classifies these as "imposter" scams and notes that gift cards and peer-to-peer payment apps are favorite tools for fraudsters because once the money is gone, it is extremely hard to claw back, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
What To Do If You Get The Call
If you receive one of these calls, hang up right away and verify the story yourself by contacting the jail or the sheriff's office using phone numbers listed on the agency's official website. To check an inmate's status or bond amount, contact the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center at (985) 783-1164 or call the sheriff's non-emergency line at (985) 783-6807. If you or a family member were pressured into paying, report the incident at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and notify local law enforcement.
Retailers and the FTC point out that once gift card numbers are read off and redeemed, the money is usually gone for good; FTC data show that gift cards remain a top payment method for imposters, which is why retailers and regulators have been trying to better educate customers and staff, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
