Fake policeman conned Haslingden woman, 89 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Fake policeman conned Haslingden woman, 89

8:58am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News By Chris Adams

AN elderly woman was conned out of £500 by a man claiming to be a police officer.

The 89-year-old was confronted by the man at her sheltered accommodation in Haslingden at around 2.50pm on Tuesday.

Police said that the pensioner, who lives alone, was left shaken after being duped by the imposter.

The man let himself in through a communal area at the front of the housing block, rang the woman’s doorbell and said that he was a police officer who needed to speak to her.

He was wearing plain clothes but showed her a form of fake identification before entering the home and taking cash from her bedroom.

Nothing else was stolen and there was no indication that violence or threatening behaviour was used.Inspector John Fryer from Rossendale police said: “This is a despicable crime.

“We are aware of bogus callers pretending to be from water or electricity companies but it is rare for someone to impersonate a police officer. We would urge any vulnerable people to call us on 101 if they are unsure about the identity of someone claiming to be from the police.

“The woman is very upset and we are carrying out door-to-door enquiries to find out what we can about the incident.”

The offender was white, in his late-30s, around 5ft 8ins, of medium build, clean-shaven with dark brown hair and wearing a three-quarter length black coat.