ATHOL — Officials warned Tuesday that residents were the targets of a sophisticated phone scam in which the caller ID appeared to belong to the Athol Police Department.

The scam involves a person calling residents, pretending to be a police officer, providing a fake badge number and urging them to withdraw money from their bank accounts.

Athol Police Department emphasized that they would never call the public to ask for money.

Authorities urge citizens to be careful and not give any personal information or money to the caller.

If the scammer contacts you, the best thing to do is to hang up.

Police also assured the community that in genuine emergencies, officers would contact them in person rather than by phone.

The ability of scammers to manipulate caller ID systems to spoof the police department’s number is concerning, and residents are always advised to pause and consider the legitimacy of such requests.

Anyone who receives a suspicious call is encouraged to report it to the Athol Police Department for investigation.