‘Governments DO NOT call you to collect money’ – Kent Police warn residents of new and old scams

The Kent Police Department is alerting residents to a resurgence of scams in which thieves attempt to trick victims into handing over money by posing as legitimate government agencies.

This week, Kent officers received a report about a phone scam where the caller ID displayed a seemingly legitimate government number. Scammers often use numbers that appear to be from entities such as the Kent Police Department, the Department of Licensing, or other businesses. In this recent case, the caller ID showed the general number for King County.

The scammers claim the victim owes money for various reasons, such as a warrant, overdue traffic fines, or missed jury duty, and threaten with fake consequences unless payment is made immediately.

“Governments DO NOT call you to collect money,” police said. “Let’s say for the case of argument some government did call at some time in the last millennia to ask for money….it is a rare occurrence to say the least….AND no legitimate caller will be offended if you pause (to) double check their info.”

Kent Police advise residents to take the following steps if they receive such a call:

1. Hang up immediately.
2. Verify the legitimacy of the request by finding the official contact information for the agency or business and calling them directly or checking online.
3. Never give money to anyone over the phone.

The police also reassured residents that if there is a legitimate warrant, officers will not call ahead to warn them or ask for money over the phone.

“Trust us, if you have a warrant we do not call ahead of time to warn you we are coming, and we do not call to take your money,” police added.

Residents are encouraged to share this information to help prevent others from falling victim to these scams.

For more information and resources, visit the Kent Police Department’s Facebook page.