Phoenix police are warning residents about a new phone scam.

It involves a person claiming to be from the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and tells intended victims that they broke the law when they communicated on an online dating site with what they thought was another adult, but was actually a minor. The caller then says a payment to a website would make the receiver avoid any criminal problems.

“Those people weren’t engaged in any criminal activity," Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said. "They never thought they were going to be engaged in any criminal activity, and the bottom line is the people or person who’s calling and pretending to be a detective was not.”

Thompson said a police department would never solicit payment in lieu of criminal charges.