Fraudsters impersonating police officers scam senior in New Westminster, NWPD says

A uniformed police officer is seen in an image from the New Westminster Police Department's Facebook page.

Police in New Westminster issued a warning Thursday after they say multiple suspects impersonating police officers defrauded a senior.

The New Westminster Police Department said the suspects spoke to the senior at her home and talked her into handing over several credit and debit cards, which were later used to make fraudulent purchases.

"This is deplorable criminal activity, targeting vulnerable people who badly need their hard-earned savings and pension income, by exploiting their trust of the police," Sgt. Andrew Leaver said in a news release. "I’d like to speak to these criminals directly; you should turn yourself in today."

The investigation is still in the early stages, and police are currently in the process of conducting interviews, as well as sourcing CCTV images of the suspects.

Police are asking the public to be vigilant and speak to friends and family members about this scam.

"The New Westminster Police Department would like to remind residents that before they open their front door to someone who is claiming to be a police officer, they can confirm the legitimacy of that claim by calling 911. Call takers will let you know if police officers have been sent to your location."

In an interview with CTV News, Leaver said people shouldn't be afraid to ask police officers for their name and badge number.

"If the person answering the questions is becoming evasive and doesn't want to give information to legitimize their presence, that right there is a red flag," he said.

"As the police, we know that we wear different uniforms even city to city… so it can be confusing for the public. We have units that wear business attire, we have units that wear street clothes."

"There's people out there taking advantage of the fact that people trust the police," he added. "So we'd love people to know that it's OK to ask those questions, and to question who it is they're talking to."

Anyone with information is asked to call the NWPD at 604-525-5411 and reference file number 2024-5516.