The Hopkinton Police Department issued a warning to the public after residents reported scam phone calls from someone purporting to be a Hopkinton police officer.

According to an HPD post on Facebook, the residents who reported the calls noted that “the number the scam caller used showed up on caller ID as the Hopkinton Police Department business line.”

The department stressed that an officer should not be calling and asking for personal information. HPD warned people to not give out any personal information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers.

Anyone who is unsure of a caller’s identity should offer to call back, then hang up and contact the Hopkinton Police Department at 508-497-3401.

A 2021 online article warned that scammers can spoof phone numbers of police departments. Responding to yes or no statements from spoofers can allow personal and financial information to fall into the wrong hands. Some strategies noted callers requesting bail money for a friend or claiming that there is a warrant out for the individual’s arrest.