Scam caller impersonated former BR Mayor Kip Holden, tried to get money from business owner
BAKER - A man was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly called someone and claimed to be former East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden as part of an apparent scam.
Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn said that a local business owner called him Saturday morning alerting him to the scam. Dunn said the caller claimed to be the former mayor and was asking for $1,000 to help a church member who had just been released from the hospital.
"The person told them that they were former Mayor Kip Holden, and he was out of town. And he needed to borrow $1,000 for one of his church members... because they had just gotten out of the hospital and they needed a strap for the back brace for this particular individual."
Dunn said he had the would-be victim set up a meeting with the suspected scammer, and 40-year-old Kory Paul was arrested by Baker police once he arrived for the meet-up.
The police chief said the call is just one of several scam calls police have heard of recently, including another resident who was talked into buying a $500 gift card.