Dalton police are warning residents of a scam in which people are posing as the local utility company over the phone and asking residents to pay their bills to a Green Dot credit card.

The Green Dot is a prepaid credit card that works like a regular credit card, said Dalton police spokesman Bruce Frazier.

Several people have complained to police that they are being told their utility bill is overdue and they are instructed to put money on a Green Dot card to avoid the shutoff of their services, he said.

The scam has also been attempted with callers identifying themselves as representatives of other businesses, he said.

If you've received one of these calls and paid money to the card, you can file a police report by calling Dalton Police at 706-278-9085 and dialing "1."