Augusta Police are warning residents of scam phone calls that claim to be from their officers.

Deputy Chief Kevin Lully says police have received complaints over the past several days about phone calls from someone claiming to be a member of the police force. The number on caller ID shows it as coming from APD, but Lully says it's been faked or 'spoofed,' which is something scammers can do using a special application.

The caller claims to be a particular APD officer and demands that the potential victim purchase pre-paid debit cards. They tell the person that, if they don't buy the cards, they will be arrested.  Deputy Chief Lully says the calls are not coming from a legitimate police officer and are not connected to the Augusta Police Department. He adds that the APD will never demand phone cards, under threat of arrest.

Anyone who receives one of these phone calls should hang up immediately and then notify their local police department. And anyone who thinks they have information regarding the origin or the identity of the person(s) involved in this scam is asked to contact the Augusta Police Department at (207) 626-2370, extension 0.

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