The Pittsfield Police Department are warning area residents of a phone scam in the area.
According to an announcement via the Pittsfield Police Department’s social media page, the department has been receiving calls about a phone scam in the area that appears to come from the Pike County Dispatch phone number.
Pittsfield Police Department officials say the scammer has a foreign accent and will tell individuals who answer the call that there is a warrant for their arrest and then attempt to persuade the victim to take care of it over the phone.
The scammer reportedly even provides the name of the Chief of Police in an attempt to sound legitimate. Officials say in the announcement, no officer from their department will ever handle arrest warrants over the phone.
They say these scammers use websites to change their phone number to a trusted number and they specifically target the elderly. Authorities say to never give out your personal or banking information to anyone over the phone.