The doorbell rang, and the elderly woman opened the door. A so-called officer, dressed in plain clothes, said he was conducting a neighborhood investigation because criminals were active in the area. The woman let the man in but asked for his identification. Although she could not see it clearly, she believed him.
At the fake officers request, the woman gave him several hundred euros to take photos of. After the man left and the resident closed the door behind him, she became suspicious and called the police.
Connection with earlier check
Earlier that day, a car with two men from Amsterdam was checked on the same street. The two were driving circles through the neighborhood, which the officers found suspicious. When the report of the fake officer came in later that evening, the police linked it to the earlier check.
Bingo!
The cars license plate was entered into the ANPR system. The car was then spotted and followed towards Amsterdam. There, officers arrested a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man, both from Amsterdam.
The stolen amount was recovered and returned to the lady. The suspects were taken to the police station and are being questioned. The police are investigating the case.
No matter what they invent, do not let them in!
The police warn to always ask for identification when someone pretends to be a police officer or an employee of an organization. When in doubt: do not let anyone in and call 112 immediately. To prevent you from becoming a victim of a fake officer (again), we have compiled these prevention tips for you.
