The U.S. Marshals Service is warning the public to avoid a scam that involves a telephone caller seeking payment of fines.

The service said the scam in Maine involves a caller saying that the person, or his or her family members, have an active federal arrest warrant and must pay a fine to avoid being arrested.

In one case, the service said, the caller identified himself as a deputy U.S. Marshal. He told his potential victims that a warrant had been issued for them because they had not appeared as ordered before a federal grand jury. The potential victim was told that they could avoid arrest by paying a fine via an electronic fund transfer or cashier’s check.

The Marshals Service said it doesn’t seek payment of fines or fees via telephone. It also warned people who are called not to divulge personal or financial information and to report the call to a local police department. People who believe they have been victimized can also report the incident through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

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