Juneau Police Department says there’s been a recent uptick in internet and phone scams, and police have received multiple reports of “very scary” fraudulent calls.

Authorities received several calls Tuesday reporting telephone calls in which a scammer demanded money after telling a person their family member was being held hostage or had been abducted after witnessing “a drug deal and things they shouldn’t have,” said Juneau Police Department in a social media post.

“These calls have been determined to be fake and nobody was in danger,” police said in the post.

The callers typically say they are in the Safeway or Walmart parking lots and demand money and instruct potential victims not to call the police, JPD said in a news release. The calls begin with a man with a southern accent, according to JPD, and a woman is then put on the phone pleading for help.

“These calls can be very scary, as the people are very intense with their claims, so it seems real,” JPD said in the release.

Police advise that the calls are a new take on an old scam. If someone receives such a call, police said they should stay calm, contact their loved one directly to verify their safety and avoid giving out any personal information or money.

Additionally, police recommended making an online report of the attempted scam. That can be done online at https://juneau.org/police/file-a-report.

If someone receives a call that they believe may be real, the Juneau Police Department non-emergency line can be contacted at (907)586-0600.

• Contact the Juneau Empire newsroom at (907)308-4895.