Gig Harbor Police Warn Of Scam Callers Posing As Officers

GIG HARBOR, WA — The Gig Harbor Police Department is warning residents about a new scam making the rounds, in which callers pretend to be local officers and try to extort money from their victims.

The police department says it has recently received several calls from concerned citizens, who said they were contacted by a "Gig Harbor Police Department Warrants Division" who demanded they call back.

"This is not us. This is a scam," the department said. "The caller is trying to scare you into sending money. Don't fall for it."

If you receive one of the suspect calls, experts say to take the following steps:

• Don't panic. This threat is not legitimate. Even if you take no action you will not be charged with a crime.
• Write down any information you can gather about the call. This may include the time you received it, what number showed on your called ID and any statements made by the fraudulent caller. While a recording of the conversation may be helpful to law enforcement, in Washington it is illegal to record someone without first telling them the conversation will be recorded. So, if you decide to record the call, give them notice, turn on the recorder, and then repeat your notice.
• Contact your local law enforcement to report the attempted fraud using a non-emergency number. For Gig Harbor police, that's (253) 851-2236.