The Kent Police Department is warning residents about a scam in which callers impersonate police officers and demand payment following a supposed arrest.
According to Kent police, scammers recently contacted the family of a person who had been arrested for driving under the influence and falsely claimed to be a police officer. The caller told the family their relative had been arrested and asked for $1,000 to provide an ankle monitor.
Police said the caller requested the money through the digital payment service Zelle.
Kent police emphasized that law enforcement agencies do not call people to request money for bail, monitoring equipment or any other payment through digital services such as Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Authorities said the intended victims in this case did not fall for the scam because they recognized the request as suspicious.
Police advised residents that if they receive a similar call, they should hang up and contact their local police department or the jail directly to verify the information.
