By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Alabaster Police Department is warning area residents of a scam involving suspects claiming to be law enforcement officers.

In a post on its Facebook page on May 6, the police department issued a warning about the scam, in which individuals claiming to be law enforcement officers have been calling local residents.

The callers often use programs to disguise their phone numbers – sometimes even appearing to call from a local police department – and claim to be collecting information regarding warrants, unpaid tickets or fines.

“These individuals may have your personal information (name, date of birth, address) and use that information to convince you of the legitimacy of the call,” read the APD post. “The individuals then tell the caller that they are required to pay a certain amount of money (usually by wire transfer) to avoid being arrested. This is a scam.”

The Alabaster Police Department sometimes notifies a person about a warrant via a phone call, but never asks for money related to the warrant or any other fine, according to the department.

“All fines related to APD are paid, in person, through the Alabaster Municipal Court,” read the post. “Please be cautious if you receive a call like this.”

Those who receive suspicious calls of this nature are encouraged to gather information on the warrant number, the caller’s name, their agency and their call-back number before calling the law enforcement agency to verify the information.

“Again, we suggest that you do not wire or transfer any money,” read the post. “Please share this with your friends and family so they are aware.”