Scammers have a new tactic targeting college athletes and their families, Connecticut officials warned Thursday.

Officials said the scam involves a person calling a parent of a college student, claiming to be a member of the school's police department. The caller then tells the parent that the student received a citation for violating open container, curfew or trespassing policies, according to the state Department of Consumer Protection and the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

The scammer then requests immediate payment through mobile apps like Venmo, CashApp or JPay, the agencies said.

As part of the warning, the agencies reminded parents that a police department or campus safety program would not contact a parent or attempt to solicit payment for citations.

"At no point will a police department pressure you into paying a citation via an untraceable payment method," DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement.

"This is a classic scam, targeting individuals and their families whose information is publicly available, and creating a sense of urgency to provide immediate payment by impersonating a government agency and issuing a threat of severe penalties if payment is not received," Cafferelli added.

Anyone receiving suspicious calls or communications from someone claiming to be law enforcement should hang up, call their local police department and report the scam, the agencies said.

If someone has fallen victim to this scam and provided personal information or money, the agencies advised they should contact their financial institution.