On Jan. 5, a 34-year old man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer to commit theft along Boon Keng Road.

Stole two mobile phones

In a press release by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the police said that the man had identified himself as a police officer.

He then asked two victims to surrender their mobile phones to him, claiming he was conducting checks.

The man subsequently left with the phones and did not return.

The police was alerted to the case at 1.30pm on the same day. Through investigations, officers from the Central Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him later that day.

Both mobile phones were recovered.

Charged in court on Jan. 7

The man will be charged in court on Tuesday (Jan. 7) with personating a public servant under Section 170 of the Penal Code.

If convicted, he can be jailed for up to two years, or fined, or both.

He will also be charged with theft under Section 379 of the Penal Code.

If guilty, he may face an imprisonment of up to three years, or face a fine, or both.

Be vigilant of impersonators

The police reminded the public to remain vigilant and be wary of persons who may impersonate police officers to commit crimes.

If in doubt, you should ask for the police officer’s warrant card to verify his identity.

A real warrant card will have identification features such as the police crest, a photo of the officer, his name, as well as his NRIC number.

When the card is tilted at an angle, the holographic word "POLICE" will also appear below the officer’s photograph.

If you are still unsure, call 999 for assistance.

More information on how to identify and verify the authenticity of a police warrant card is available here.

Top image via Getty Images.