Fraudulent Police Impersonators Target South Africans at Their Homes: Authorities Sound the Alarm

• South Africans are warned to be on the lookout for criminals pretending to be police officers
• In one incident, an elderly woman's house was ransacked and robbed by a gang dressed in police uniform
• The South African Police Service has alerted citizens on how to be cautious when dealing with bogus cops

JOHANNESBURG - Criminals in South Africa are finding brazen ways to dupe their victims and get away with crimes.

The police and security companies are warning citizens to be very aware that criminals are now posing as cops and security guards to rob unsuspecting victims.

Elderly woman' raided by fake cops

According to The Citizen, there has been a string of crimes run by syndicates dressed in police and sometimes security guard uniform. The publication notes that an elderly woman's house was raided on Thursday, 15 June, by a gang dressed in police uniform.

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The gang presented the woman with a fake warrant for her arrest and said they were searching for drugs. Before the old lady could realise what was happening, the gang made off with R5 000 in cash and valuables.

Two fake cops try to rob a man

In another incident, two men were arrested for trying to rob a homeowner of his firearm and other valuables. According to IOL, the men were also charged with impersonating police officers.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda told the publication that two men and a woman dressed in shirts with a police badges barged into a home in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal.

The three people identified themselves as police officers at SAPS Hillcrest and told the homeowner they were investigating a murder. They then demanded the homeowner hand over his licensed firearm.

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The homeowner's daughter noticed suspicious activity and called the community members to assist. Community members asked the fake cops for identification, which they failed to provide.

Residents then called the police, and the two men were arrested. However, the female suspect managed to slip away before the police arrived.

South Africans warned to look out for fake police officers

Pietermaritzburg SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala urged citizens to report anyone who impersonates police officers or dresses in police uniform without credentials.

According to The Witness, Gwala advises citizens not to open their doors to strangers, and if a police officer tries to stop them, they should drive to the nearest police station, or anywhere they feel safe.

Gwala adds that citizens should demand police identification if they are unsure the person they are dealing with is really a cop.

Blue light hijacker dies in dramatic shootout with the police

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Briefly News previously reported that a suspected believed to be connected to a series of "blue light" hijackings has been fatally wounded by the South Africa Police Service during a dramatic shootout on Friday in Springs.

A second suspect was taken into custody, and two unlicensed guns were confiscated and taken into evidence.

The suspects were allegedly responsible for a series of hijackings on roads linking the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces.

Source: Briefly News