ST. FRANCISVILLE — Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating a suspect wanted in connection with an alleged $5,200 Facebook Marketplace scam, the St. Francisville Police Department announced on Tuesday. 

A felony arrest warrant has been issued for Chau Minh Phuc Tran for one count of theft of $5,000 or more, but less than $25,000.

According to police, the investigation began on July 21, 2026, when a local business owner reported being scammed while trying to purchase supplies through a Facebook Marketplace page she believed was legitimate.

The victim was instructed to send a photo of a completed business check as part of the transaction. The seller never delivered the products and the victim later discovered that the check shown in the photo had been fraudulently mobile-deposited by the suspect. The total reported financial loss was $5,200.

St. Francisville Police Chief Christopher M. Green issued a warning to the public following the incident, urging residents to exercise extreme caution during online transactions. Police emphasize that you should never send a photograph of a completed check to an unverified individual or online seller, as the image alone contains enough information to facilitate a fraudulent mobile deposit.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tran or this case is asked to contact the St. Francisville Police Department at 225-635-4177.