Late Tuesday night, a woman says she was pulled over near San Luis Obispo by a car with a flashing light, but once she pulled to the side of the road in a rural area, she realized it wasn't law enforcement.
"She called me, and was really upset and really frantic, just really shook up and said, 'Mom, I just got pulled over by a fake cop,'" said Heather Morgan.
Morgan's daughter was getting off work around ten on Tuesday night in San Luis Obispo, when she needed to stop for gas.
When she was ready to head home to Santa Maria, Google maps suggested a faster route, one she wasn't familiar with and one that was more secluded.
Then, she saw flashing lights behind her.
"She got pulled over there and as she was looking in her rear view, she saw a person getting out of her car that didn't look like a police car," Morgan said.
Morgan's daughter turned her car back on and put it into drive when she saw a woman wearing sweats and sandals get out of the car behind her.
This decision ultimately scared off the other woman, as she got back in her car and sped away.
Luckily, Morgan's daughter made it home safely but Morgan knew she had to spread the news.
"When I had kids go off to college, you try to prepare them for things like this, but I never thought of this. Immediately, like later that evening, I thought I should post a warning out because I just wouldn't feel right if something happened to somebody else," Morgan said.
That post was shared more than 800 times and with hundreds of comments, it was clear some people are unsure of what to do in this type of situation.
"If you find yourself in that situation, again, I would encourage you to call 911. It's dual-fold. Not only can you verify, 'hey, am I being stopped by a law enforcement officer?' but also, here's the situation so we can get on that, let officers who are out patrolling know and start converging on that area," said Mike Poelking, California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer.
Poelking says if you feel unsure about a car that's pulling you over, or if you are in an unlit, unpopulated area, you first want to turn on your hazard lights to acknowledge you see the car, then drive toward a safer, more crowded area and if you still have questions, dial 911.
Poelking says you can also drive to the CHP, police, or sheriff's station. That way, you know you are going to a safe place.
