Holiday scamsBogus police

A fake police officer is after your wallet and passport

You may think that you'd never fall for someone pretending to be a police officer, that you'd be able to spot the impostor a mile off – but would you? These fraudsters are expert confident tricksters, who prey on your vulnerability and your relaxed holiday mood. 

Good cop - bad cop

Although not a prolific scam, we have good reason to believe that fraudsters impersonating police officers and other officials have fooled unsuspecting tourists. 

Our research found that 5% of travellers have encountered someone posing as a bogus official at some point during their holiday in the past 2 years. 

One such scam is where a man in plain clothes approaches you and says he is a policeman. The policeman’s ruse can be wide-ranging; he might say you resemble a suspect wanted in association with thefts in the area, or he may say he is clamping down on counterfeit currency and wants to check your wallet. 

Whatever the ploy, the end result is the same – he wants your wallet or passport, or both. 

Tips

Here are some tips if you suspect you have been approached by bogus policemen:

• Sometimes fraudsters work in pairs so that one distracts you while the other steals the contents of your wallet. They may also try and extract your PIN number from you. Although you may feel intimidated, stand your ground.
• If you are approached by anyone purporting to be a police officer, always ask to see identification. It is likely the fraudsters will have some form of fake ID, but check this thoroughly and if you are not satisfied, ask what police station they are from and call the station to check (find out the number yourself, don’t just call the one they give you). Insist you are willing to cooperate once you are satisfied that they are who they say they are. 
• If you do find you have been duped, report it to the local police immediately, and contact your bank to cancel all your cards.