A 34-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a case of impersonating a police officer and theft.

On Jan. 7, 2021 at around 10:30pm, the man approached his victim at the back lane of Rowell Road, identifying himself as a police officer.

He then asked the victim to surrender his mobile phone on the pretext of conducting checks.

The man told the victim to collect the phone on Jan. 11, at a police station in Tanjong Pagar.

The victim eventually realised that the man was not a police officer, and lodged a police report on Jan. 13.

Officers from Central Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on Jan. 15.

The man is being charged in court today (Jan. 16) with personating a public servant. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to two years, or fine, or both.

How to tell if it's a real police officer

The police would like the public to remain vigilant and wary of such impersonators.

Here are some steps you can take to verify their identity, when in doubt:

• Request for the police officer’s warrant card to verify their identity before complying with the officer's instructions.
• Look for identification features that a genuine warrant card will have, such as the police crest, as well as the officer's photo, name, and 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 of the person’s credibility as a police officer, call 999 for assistance.

Find out more about the warrant cards here:

Top image via Chia Zhong Ying/YouTube