Urgent warnings are being circulated after a man dressed up as a traffic warden tried to scam a woman out of £4000.
The victim – who had just parked her car near a hospital – was told she must hand over her bank card or she would be fined.
Moments later, the fraudster opened the car door and jumped out before making a run for it with the motorist’s card.
Police said that soon after, the woman received a message from her bank saying that a £4,000 withdrawal had attempted to be made on her account. The suspicious bank had fortunately stopped the transaction.
The incident occurred in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, last Thursday and police last night pleaded with the public not to be fooled by scammers.
Fraud Triage Manager Julian Griffiths, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: ‘This incident must have been distressing for the victim, who not only had their card taken but must have felt physically intimidated by the man climbing into the car.
‘There doesn’t appear to have been any other similar incidents reported in the county to date, but I would advise drivers to be cautious and lock their vehicles if they are parked up. No official or company representative should ever ask you to hand over cash or bank cards at the roadside.
‘If you are asked to do so, ask them to send a penalty notice through the post and do not provide them with any personal information. If they remain insistent, call Police on 101.
‘The imposter is described as aged in his 40s, black and of medium build, around 6ft tall and clean shaven. If anyone else was approached or saw someone matching this description in the area, please report so we can investigate.’
The warnings comes just a month after detectives issued an alert when suspected burglars were caught on CCTV posing as police officers in a bid to scope out homes and cars to target.
Kent Police released doorbell camera footage of two men believed to be posing as police in Sevenoaks.
A spokesman said at the time: ‘It is reported that at around 9pm on Wednesday 11th September 2024, two unknown men approached a property in the road.
‘Wearing tracksuits and black gloves, they were also wearing vests which had a similar appearance to clothing sometimes worn by police officers. They left the scene shortly after.
‘The incident is being linked to a previous report of suspicious behaviour in the same road, on Friday 23rd August.
‘At just after 1.30am, two suspects wearing balaclavas attempted to steal a car but left empty handed.’
Impersonating a police officer, which is an offence under the 1996 Police Act, carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
The incidents in Sevenoaks are not the first time that criminals have disguised themselves as policemen to aid in their crimes.
Two men who claimed to be officers and were wearing ‘crude’ uniforms were causght on camera being chased out of an apartment block in east London by angry residents in October 2021, The Telegraph reported.
Similarly, in November last year, 17-year-old Joe Metcalfe was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he made a ‘detailed plan to murder Muslims at a nearby mosque while disguised as an armed police officer’.