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SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Police Department issued a warning Monday about a phone scam that involves callers pretending to be law enforcement.

The scam makes it seem as if the department is calling from one of the divisions using a technique called “spoofing” to ask people for money.

“SDPD will NEVER call you to demand or ask for money,” the agency said in a tweet.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence in the region. Last fall, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department put the public on alert over an arrest warrant phone scam reported by multiple people, including a San Diego-area doctor who received an aggressive call from scammers in November.

The Federal Communications Commission has released a number of tips to avoid spoofing. They include:

  • Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If such a call is answered, hang up immediately;
  • Don’t give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords or any other identifying information;
  • If you get a call from someone who claims to represent a government agency or company, hang up and call the official number on an account statement or on the agency’s website; and
  • Use caution if being pressed to provide information immediately.

To check if the person calling you is with SDPD, the department’s number is 619-531-2000.