A dubious man has been arrested for going around identifying himself as a police officer and deceiving victims into giving him money in the pretence of extending social visit passes.
The 29-year-old female victim fell prey to his con after entrusting him with a ‘financial deposit’ to obtain an extension to her social visit pass. The suspect had identified himself as a police officer —complete with a fake ID which resembled a police warrant card — informing the victim that he would be able to do so for $1,050. The victim eventually gave him an initial $400 and agreed to settle the balance the following day.
Suspecting something was up, the victim lodged a police report. Possibly driven by the knowledge that someone out there was parading himself as a legit policeman, officers from the Central Police Division arrested the suspect within 24 hours in an operation at Smith Street. Investigations revealed that he is involved in other similar cases.
For the offence of Cheating by Personation, the suspect may be imprisoned for up to five years, and/or a fine.
Police have also advised the public to be stay alert for police impersonators by requesting for the police warrant card to verify identities before complying. They’ve provided more information on how to identify the authenticity of police officers in a Facebook gallery.
Photo: Keith Allison via Flickr
