Fake police officer arrested for defrauding people and stealing thousands of euros

The police arrested a 39-year-old man from Amsterdam who pretended to be a police officer and defrauded people. At least eight people fell victim to his scam, in which he stole many thousands of euros, according to the Amsterdam police.

Since the end of June, the Amsterdam police have been receiving at least eight reports about the man who pretended to be a police officer and "deceitfully" defrauded people of money. For example, he told the victims that they were suspected of money laundering and took their phones, ATM cards, and PIN numbers. He used these to withdraw cash amounts of between 410 and 5,000 euros.

In one of the cases, he even went one step further. The fake police officer accused a man of having sex with minors. He managed to convince the victims that they could buy their way out of arrest by paying 20,000 euros. They then opened the safe and paid the discussed amount. They later became suspicious and filed a complaint with the real police.

The crook convinced the victims of his role by showing a "police ID," wearing handcuffs and making noises that seemed to indicate he was in contact with the police control room.

The man was arrested on July 23 after several police units in Amsterdam joined forces and launched an investigation. When he was arrested at his parent's house, the officers found items that he had allegedly used in his scams, including wigs, balaclavas, pepper spray, handcuffs, and an invalid ID.