Kenner Police has taken down a scam website that mimicked the Geaux Pass website.
People, including some Kenner police officers, were alerted to the website after getting a text message from an unknown number with an image demanding the payment of a $3.75 toll.
People, including some Kenner police officers, were receiving this text message, which pointed to a scam website with servers in Russia. Note the misplaced dollar sign, which would be a certain indicator that it’s bogus.
“An outside individual had actually mimicked the state DOTD website and was asking people to pay a toll,” says Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley. “So they investigated it and found out it was actually coming through a server out of Russia.”
The link the text had people going to was geauxpass.info, instead of the real website geauxpass.com.
“They’re not after the $3.75 that they’re asking for,” says Chief Conley. “They’re after your personal information (and) your credit card information. They’ll take the money and they’re probably making a pretty good lick at it.”
Kenner Police investigated, determined that it was a scam, and seized the website.
Chief Conley especially singled out Detective Brad Ricke for his diligent work that ultimately culminated with the seizure.
“He was very aggressive and proactive,” says Conley, “and I’m so proud of him for doing that, because I don’t know how many people he saved from going into that downward spiral with the credit issues and identity theft and things of that nature.”
Conley says while you can certainly pay money owed to a government entity online, all payment requests are done through the U.S. Mail.
“No governmental agency or entity is going to ask you for any information online or certainly through a text,” Conley notes.
It’s unclear how many people fell for the scam.
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