At least six St. Mary's County residents say they received harassing scam phone calls Monday from a man claiming to be holding one of their family members hostage and demanding money, officials say.

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St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office authorities say that six people claim to have been contacted by the supposed scammer, who in each call demands money as restitution for an accident in exchange for their relative.

In each call, the scammer claims that a member of his family was in car accident with a family member of the victim. The scammer then claims to be holding the victim's relative hostage until he is wired money in the amount of the damages to the crash.

Officials say that the scammer would demand anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars in exchange for the victim's family member. Each call also came from a phone number with a 301 area code.

The Sheriff's Office cautions that if you receive a call similar to this, do not transfer any money or reveal any personal information. Instead, you should contact authorities immediately.