Cranberry Township police advised residents Tuesday, Oct. 18, to watch closely for computer and phone scams.

A post from the department’s Facebook page provided tips to spot scams and protect private bank accounts.

Police said scammers will use phone calls or pop-up messages on the computer. Some of the messages say the computer has been hacked, an Amazon account is frozen, there is a warrant out for your arrest, illegal material was found on the computer, or that a family member was involved in a crash.

“Scammers are using tactics, such as these, to steal your hard-earned money,” the department wrote. “If anyone reaches out, asking you to pull large sums of money from your bank accounts to purchase gift cards, Bitcoin or any other electronic currency, red flags should be going up immediately.”

Police added it is difficult to recover the stolen money.

“These thieves will sound convincing and ask you to remain on the phone with them as they empty your account. Trust your instincts, hang up immediately and call 911 if you need police assistance,” police wrote.