Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) Telephone scammers have a brand new spin. They call you and tell you you're going to be arrested.

A man named Scott D. Miller called from Fullerton, California, saying a local woman's boyfriend had applied online for a quick cash advance loan a year ago. While the man never received any money, the caller said if he didn't pay up, he'd be arrested.

Scam victim Veronica Gallegos says, "He repeated the address to me and told me he would show up on the doorstep the next day, with court papers to arrest him, take him to court, and then go from there. He would be put in jail."

The scammer demanded that Gallegos wire him $200 as the initial payment on a $900 balance. But then she decided to ask somebody else for help.

Gallegos says, "I didn't want to get in trouble, I thought I would call an attorney for advice. Right off the bat, she told me it was a scam. She asked me if I had applied for a bankruptcy or a payday loan. I told her it was a payday loan online, but we never received any money."

After Googling Marchant Grace Law Office, Gallegos found several other complaints that confirmed the phone calls were from scammers. She says the best way to avoid this scam is to apply for a loan in person, not online.

Dan Heil, Crime Prevention Officer with the Twin Falls Police Department, says, "Usually if there's any sort of threat of being arrested, the best thing to do is contact your local law enforcement agency, police department, sheriff's department, and ask some questions. Find out if there are warrants out for a person's arrest or something like that. We can give you that information and let you know."

Aug. 15, 2012.