Bridgeport police are warning of a scam involving the Cash App, which is popular for people looking to pay one another without using cash or costly wire services like Western Union.

Tamara Gill, a 54-year-old mom from Bridgeport, says she tried to send her son $185 on Saturday.

The transaction failed, and she soon realized about $1,300 was missing from her checking account.

Police say Gill looked up the app's customer service hotline on Google after the money first failed to go through. But the number she found was a fake — and the crook who answered her call stole her information and her money.

"Yesterday, the day before, I cried all day long," Gill says. "I don't know what to do now. I'm lost. I'm very lost."

Police say when dealing with any payment app, make sure you go directly through the company and do not trust telephone numbers listed on the internet, which are often fraudulent.

Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez says most online companies — from Facebook to Cash App — are set up to have customers communicate by email, rather than over the phone.

Police say they are investigating, but because most scammers are based offshore, recovering what they steal is often impossible.

Officials say that if you suspect any online service of being a scam, check with your local police department or financial institution before using it.

"These are nefarious, evil people who just don't care," Perez says.