Do you know how to spot a fake policeman?

Public Prosecution warns residents not to fall for conmen posing as officials

Criminals tend to impersonate policemen or other government officials to extort money or scam people, UAE Public Prosecution warned residents in an educational video yesterday.

Residents are urged to look for signs that mark a real police officer such as a photo ID card with a name on it. If you are still unsure of the identity of the individual who claims to be from the police, call 999 or contact the nearest police station.

Fraudsters impersonating officials in the UAE face five years in prison, the UAE Public Prosecution said.

Wageh Amin Abdelaziz, senior legal adviser at World Center Advocates and Legal Consultants, pointed that the punishment can be more stringent if the impersonation is connected with other crimes. “If an individual wears an official uniform or military badge to con a victim then he or she shall be punished up to a minimum of one year in jail or a fine of Dh10,000,” he saod.

Abdulaziz said that if the person impersonates someone to kidnap, blackmail, assault, commit a robbery or locks up

a victim then the punishment can be life imprisonment.

Police across the UAE have conducted awareness campaigns to counter the problem of impersonators. In December last year, Sharjah Police launched a campaign called ‘Be careful before you fall prey to fraud’ that aimed to spread awareness among the community about the dangers of police impersonators.