The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is warning about a scam in our area, where a scammer is pretending to be a sheriff’s deputy to get you to give up information or to swindle money.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, someone is claiming to be Capt. Chris Roberts who heads up the criminal investigations division.

Scammers frequently impersonate law enforcement officials over the phone. They try to get you to give up your personal information or make payments to them to supposedly satisfy fake warrants or other schemes. Scammers are able to spoof your Caller ID so that the number appears to be legitimate.

Authorities warn you not to give out your personal or financial information to a caller. Law enforcement officers will never ask for you to make a payment over the phone to avoid arrest.

If you have any questions you should hang up and call your local authorities directly at an official number you can find online or in a phone book.