Residents in Rocky Mount should be aware of a suspected scammer, police said Wednesday.

The Rocky Mount Police Department received four reports Wednesday of an unknown suspect calling elderly citizens requesting money to assist a family member with vehicle problems.

The elderly resident meets the individual in parking lots of local grocery stores. The elderly citizen gives the unknown suspect money to help a family member who has a car problem; however, this is a scam.

The family member does not have a car problem and the con artist is misrepresenting assisting the family member. The amount of money obtained by the con artist has ranged from $36 to $125. The suspect has also asked for a debit card.

The suspect in these cases is described as a male, with a beard, under the age of 25, driving a truck. He represents himself as a car mechanic and he states he can only take cash to make the repairs to the vehicles. The times of the incidents have ranged from midnight until 2 p.m. No actual car repair issue exists.

The public is requested to contact the Rocky Mount Police Department if they are contacted reference to a scenario such as above. They should not meet anyone they do not know and give them money.