Calls From (504) 355-8293 Are a Scam

Don't get scammed! Lafayette Utilities Systems (LUS), Cleco and SLEMCO have reported receiving calls from consumers reporting they are receiving calls from a New Orleans area number, (504) 355-8293. The callers, claiming to be collections agents from LUS and SLEMCO, are actually scammers looking to steal credit card information and/or other banking information. They are asking for credit card payments over the phone to stop disconnections of utility services, even though the customers are not behind on their payments.

The Better Business Bureau of Acadiana reports one LUS employee said she talked to the scammers and verified they did not work for her company. After she asked to speak to a supervisor, the person she was speaking with abruptly hung up the phone. The LUS employee then called the scammers back and told them to stop calling LUS customers. She also told the scammers that she was turning their phone number over to the police and filing a report.

The same phone number was reported in July and August as the cut-off department for Entergy and the Southwest Power and Electric Company in Texas.

These scammers are calling on both individuals and businesses.