The Pittsburgh office of the FBI is cautioning residents about a telephone spoofing campaign where a caller portrays themselves as a special agent with a phone number displaying FBI Pittsburgh.

A Monday, April 17, news release from the FBI stated victims of the scheme, whom the caller addresses by name, are told their identity has been "compromised” and used to open fraudulent bank accounts to send suspicious money transfers overseas. They also are told they will be prosecuted by the FBI.

FBI Pittsburgh has seen several instances of these scams, with losses of between $1,000 to $6,000, and victims have been located in other parts of the country.

The news release stated law enforcement never will call a person with an arrest warrant, nor will they ask a person to send money or gift cards to clear a warrant. They also never will ask for pictures or videos of a person for any reason.

To report a call or message from someone portraying themselves as law enforcement or the FBI, contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or online at tips.fbi.gov.