FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Recent comments from Fort Wayne residents on social media have signaled potential scammers impersonating Fort Wayne Police officers and soliciting money.

The commenters claimed that they received calls from someone saying they’re from the Fort Wayne Police Department and are seeking donations to buy new police gear.

WANE 15 reached out to FWPD to see if they’ve received any reports of such scams.

Sergeant Jeremy Webb said they haven’t heard of that particular scam, but have dealt with plenty of scams where people claim they’re from the department.

He wanted to remind people that no Fort Wayne Police officer or representative will call people asking for money.

FWPD operates within a city budget approved by Fort Wayne City Council.

These latest comments serve as a reminder that scammers are everywhere and always looking to take advantage of those who fall victim to their scheme.

“If somebody is calling and asking for money, or showing up at your door, that has happened in the past, too, where somebody will claim to be a representative of some agency, have no identification, park down the street, and say ‘I’m collecting money for this, and this, and this, this function,’ then yeah, that’s probably a scam, and if you don’t know, call,” Sgt. Webb explained.

Calling a reputable number for the agency you think is soliciting your money or calling the non-emergency police line is the best way to verify if it’s a legit ask or not, Webb said.

He added that FWPD offers a scam alert section on its website where they report the latest scams reported to them.

He said if someone is calling you or showing up at your door, it’s usually a tell-tale sign of fraud in today’s technological world where people generally turn to social media to raise funds.

He also noted that while police unions like the Fraternal Order of Police will hold fundraisers, those groups won’t call people and ask for money either.

“I can’t reiterate [enough], if you don’t know, please call, especially if somebody is claiming to be a representative of the Fort Wayne Police Department and you’re not sure,” Webb said. “Please call and verify, and more often than not, it will not be if you’re getting calls over the phone about somebody soliciting money.”