SAN DIEGO - The California Highway Patrol warned San Diego-area residents on Monday about a telephone scam carried out by swindlers posing as law enforcement officers.

The perpetrators of the fraudulent scheme make calls during which they identify themselves as CHP personnel and provide phony information regarding a relative or friend.

In one recent case, the caller claimed to have the targeted person's grandson in a holding cell due to a supposed traffic accident and offered to release him without charges if the victim sent a payment through Western Union to pay for "damages," according to the state agency.

While law enforcement officials often conduct business by telephone, they never request money to dismiss an arrest. Anyone receiving such a contact should avoid releasing personal information and report the crime to local law enforcement.