WESTPORT — Police warn that scammers posing as police officers are trying to defraud the public with phone calls falsely indicating they are “wanted” on outstanding warrants.

The latest example of an attempt to bilk people into paying a “fine” for failing to comply with a warrant was reported to police Friday morning.

Police said a woman received a voicemail message from someone identifying himself as Capt. David Wolf of the Police Department.

When the woman called back the purported police official, the person who answered told her that a bench warrant had been issued for her and, as a result, she was required to pay a $5,000 fine.

The woman, suspecting the call was a scam, did not make the payment and reported the incident to the Police Department.

Police, in a statement issued later Friday morning, said that neither Wolf nor any other Westport police official made the call.

“No member of the Police Department will ever request that a fine be paid over the phone, nor call to solicit any type of payment,” according to the police statement.