Scammers are pretending to be Hanford police officers

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- Crooks using a new trick to scam people are pretending to be Hanford police officers.

Hanford police say they're seeing a rise in reports of people claiming to be police officers demanding money. The calls are targeting senior citizens. In one case the name of an actual Hanford police officer was used.

Hanford Interim Police Chief Parker Sever said, "We might call you, talk to you but we're never going to ask for money from you, the FBI is not gonna ask for money from you, the IRS is not going to ask for money from you over the phone."

Police say if you get one of these calls, ask as many questions as possible about why they need the money.

You can always call the Hanford Police Department and they'll look into it for you.

Watch the video for extended coverage from Action News reporter Kate Valentine.