WBRZ - Baton Rouge

ASCENSION PARISH - A scam that has been fooling people in other parts of the country has made its way to south Louisiana. It involves receiving and returning phone calls from three area codes, including, 809, 649 and 284.

One Ascension parish resident has already fallen victim. Jason Cole shared his story with WBRZ to help warn consumers.

Cole received a call Monday from a stranger who said he had won a sweepstakes.

"He said congratulations. You've won $250,000 plus a Mercedes compressor. But we need tax, title and license for the car," says Cole.

The Federal Communications Commission is warning consumers about calls received from these three area codes. The scam doesn't involve wiring money to a foreign country. Instead, the scammers want consumers to receive and return phone calls. They make their money when 809, 649 and 284 area code phone numbers are dialed. The numbers are international pay-per-call services and you won't know you've been scammed, until you receive your phone bill.

"I wanted to give them a piece of my mind," says cole.

Unfortunately, in this case, getting the last word could come at a steep price.

If you feel you have fallen victim, file a complaint with the FCC and the FTC.

FCC:
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

FTC:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/