The St. Joseph Department of Public Safety has been made aware of recent attempts to victimize citizens through a phone scam and would like to inform the public in an effort to prevent anyone falling prey to it.

Basically, the scam works something like this:

A phone call is received and the caller claims to be a relative or friend who is in need of money to be bailed out of jail or some similar plight.

In some instances, the caller may offer to put his attorney on the phone for verification or instructions. If the recipient believes the caller, he will request money be sent to him.

If you receive such a call, ask them directly who they are and never volunteer a name or other personal information.

They will most often respond with a very common name, such as Michael.

Typically, the caller will hang up once he realizes you suspect the call is a scam.

If you are uncertain as to the authenticity of the call, check the validity by researching the information provided before you send any money.

If the caller claims to be your relative, then call that relative using your own contact information, not the information provided by the caller.

Never offer any contact information or personal financial information and always report these instances to your local police department.