Police in St. Helena are warning residents about a phone scam involving someone impersonating law enforcement.

According to police, “several” locals received phone calls from someone pretending to be a St. Helena Police Department detective and lieutenant.

The caller advised the residents that they were taking legal action against them and asked for credit card information. The caller was spoofing the department’s non-emergency number, 707-967-2850.

Anyone who has a question about who may be calling them is advised to hang up and dial the St. Helena Police Department’s non-emergency number. Do not hit redial or provide any information over the phone, police said.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.