Police in Edina say somebody is posing as a deputy U.S. marshal and telling people they face arrest and to turn themselves in. Police believe the plan is to lure residents out of their home and burglarize it once they have left.

After at least three people on Tuesday received the suspicious calls, Edina police put out a warning to alert residents about the bogus calls.

"After confirming the resident's address, the caller tells the resident to leave the home immediately, but to stay on the [cell] phone to confirm to the caller that they have left," said Sgt. Brandon Kuske. "This is not how the U.S. marshals or any law enforcement agency would go about contacting anybody."

Kuske suspects the ploy is a hoax to get people out of their homes so that accomplices can burglarize them.

Similar scams in which callers are told they have an outstanding fine or have missed jury duty have popped up around the country, according to postings on the U.S. Marshals Service website, www.usmarshals.gov.

Anybody who receives such a call should call the Edina police at 952-826-1610 or the U.S. Marshals Service Minnesota district office at 612-664-5900.