A disturbing call received by Kinsey Dulaney serves as a reminder to be cautious of individuals impersonating law enforcement.

Last month, Dulaney was subjected to a terrifying experience involving a homeless man aggressively harassing her at a traffic light in northeast Dallas. Despite escaping the harrowing incident with the belligerent man, her traumatic ordeal was far from over.

Once safely at home, she called the city’s 311 non-emergency line. She was instructed to contact the Northeast Precinct House directly and make a report, a recommendation she followed.

The following day, Dulaney received a voice mail from a man identifying himself as Sgt. Darrell Watson. The man said he wanted to follow up with her about the incident.

Once they finally connected, red flags arose, like the man using her maiden name, despite Dulaney having been married for a decade. Her attempt to correct the man resulted in a combative reaction.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE DALLAS EXPRESS APP

“He threatened to show up at my place of work and arrest me,” said Dulaney, per the Advocate.

“He started yelling and berating me. That’s when I said I was going to hang up and call the police station to confirm his badge number.”

Officers at the station later told her that the man was attempting to scam her into paying a fraudulent fine. Fortunately, Dulaney’s instincts led her to end the call before it got that far.

“They told me police records are public. There’s really nothing you can do,” she said.

Despite avoiding the scam, the ease with which the man was able to gather her personal details has left Dulaney understandably frightened.

A Dallas Police blog post from earlier this year reminds people that the department will never contact you via phone, email, or social media to demand money. If you receive a scam call, notify the Financial Crimes Unit at 214-671-3543.

“If you are being harassed by aggressive, frequent calls, immediately call 9-1-1 and report it,” the post continued.

Last month, The Dallas Express reported on a similar scam involving the impersonation of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. Leaders from the agency are warning Americans to remain on high alert for fake calls claiming to be from the agency, in which scammers request Social Security numbers, banking details, or payments.