Local police are warning residents to be wary of suspicious phone calls asking for money, after seeing a spike in reported scam attempts. The latest victim lost $2,500 after wiring money to a person in the Dominican Republic, based on the person’s claim that the victim’s grandson had been in a car accident and needed to pay for stitches on his face, according to Sergeant Kristin Daley. There’s not much that local police can do, said Daley, when someone wires money across international borders. The FBI doesn’t get involved unless the scam exceeds $100,000. Daley said. Police are publicizing the details of the scam to keep others from falling victim, she said. Targets are often older, said Daley, and con artists call claiming to be a relative, or to know a relative, who is in trouble and needs money wired immediately. Daley said people should not give out financial information over the phone, and, if they are worried about a relative, call police first. Police can help locate a relative in trouble. - Evan Allen