Another phone scam is circulating, and this one is personal to the Butler County Sheriff's Office.

“These are spoof calls and an attempt of a crime,” said Chief Deputy Mike Peffer.

Peffer said multiple residents have reported receiving phone calls from the department's number.

“A male caller is identifying himself as Deputy Michael Smith, which is troubling to us because we have a Deputy Michael Smith here, but he's not making any calls,” Peffer said.

Witnesses told the sheriff's office the caller warns the potential victim that they have an outstanding arrest warrant that can be satisfied only by making a payment to an officer in the field.

“No deputy or legitimate law enforcement officer would request that you meet in person to make payment,” Peffer said.

Peffer said the caller could be using the same scam system under the alias of other law enforcement too.

He said people, particularly susceptible individuals, should be cautious when dealing with an officer.

“If they get the right person who gets confused, they might make the payment,” he said.

While the act of spoofing allows a scammer to use a number that is not their own to make calls, incoming calls would be routed to the actual owner of the number.

“We encourage folks too, if they receive such a call, they should call that law enforcement agency,” Peffer said. “If they think they have a problem, they should call the number back.”