DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Authorities in DeKalb County are warning the public about a scam involving callers impersonating law enforcement officers in an attempt to steal money.

According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, scammers are contacting victims and falsely claiming they have outstanding warrants that must be cleared by paying fines with pre-paid debit cards. The callers are reportedly using real badge numbers and the names of actual DeKalb deputies to appear legitimate.

Temetris Atkins with the DeKalb Sheriff’s Office explains how the scam typically works: “They tell victims they can avoid arrest by withdrawing cash and transferring the funds to a pre-paid debit card and then reading the card number over the phone to satisfy the fines.”

Officials stress that the Sheriff’s Office will never call members of the public to demand payment by phone.

Anyone who receives a suspicious call is urged to hang up immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement.

WSB’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story