A full Minden Civic Center proved local folks are concerned about being scammed.

“You got a free meal here tonight, but that’s the only thing that’s free,” said Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker.

The panel consisted of Tracy Campbell, with Meriwether Wealth & Planning, Parker, Minden Police Chief Jared McIver, long-time banker Jack Byrd and FBI agent Lynn Higgins, who talked about cyberstalking.

Campbell warned against scammers holding computer users hostage. “They can shut you out of your computer. We see a lot of businesses that are experiencing that.”

Some of the more recent scams seen by law enforcement include identity theft through QR codes, tax liens, crypto coins, emails and text messages.

“Probably 60 to 65 percent of the cases my detectives are working right now are people being scammed by sweepstakes,” McIver said.

The bottom line to all advice was to be vigilant, question everything and watch for ‘red flags.’

“Just say no,” Byrd told the audience. “Don’t agree to anything until you’ve checked it out.”

He also advised that for online shopping, “always use a credit card … not a debit card. You have a little room to file a claim and maybe get back your money with a credit card, but with a debit card, it’s gone.”