Police Phone Scam: Washington State Warns Of Calls Soliciting Money

LAKEWOOD, WA - State police are warning of a phone scam circulating in the area where a pre-programmed caller asks for donations on behalf of Washington State Patrol. The department issued a statement about the scam on its Facebook page on Tuesday warning residents not to give out personal or credit card information to the caller.

Residents around Puget Sound have contacted state patrol about the scam, they say. The scam calls sounds legitimate and even mentions the department's name, but it appears to be a common problem around the U.S.

During a scam call, a pre-programmed message in a man's voice explains that he's working to raise funds for state police, and then asks that you press a number on your phone "if you support police." If you have caller ID, the number appears as "V13113345101170." If you call that phone number back, it dials 206-420-6737 - but the number is always busy.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has a webpage dedicated to phone scams aimed at police and fire departments. According to news reports, the scam has been detected in Wisconsin, New York, and Pennsylvania. In Illinois, the scam is also targeting state police.

Image via Washington State Patrol