Butler police are warning residents that a suspected scam artist is calling citizens to solicit funds for new equipment for the police force.

A statement from the police on Thursday said no area police departments, as far as the city police are aware, solicit donations by phone.

Police are cautioning residents to hang up and not give the caller any financial information.

The new scam comes on the heels of a warning in December by Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe regarding a jury duty scam in which a caller from a 724 area code reports to the victim that they are being fined for failing to appear for jury duty.

The very convincing caller identifies himself as a sheriff’s deputy and gives a fictitious name and docket number, Slupe said.

The rattled victim is then instructed to buy certain gift cards in $500 increments and send them to the caller.

Police advise residents to never give financial or credit card information over the phone to anyone, and to simply hang up as soon as they suspect a scammer has contacted them.

“Butler Countians are such nice people, we don’t want to hang up, but this is different,” Slupe said in December. “These people are trying to steal your money.”