The Waterloo Regional Police Service is looking into a robbery where victims say they were coerced by impostors pretending to be police officers into giving up a significant amount of cash.
Police reported receiving a call on Tuesday just before 2 p. m. about a robbery in the Arrowhead Crescent area.
The victims claimed that two men approached their home, posing as police officers from another area who were investigating fraud involving the elderly residents living there.
When asked for identification, the men claimed they were undercover officers from the Greater Toronto Area and showed ID cards on chains but did not present any official police identification.
“As part of the interaction, the suspects instructed the victims to retrieve cash from inside the home, claiming it needed to be documented for investigative purposes. When funds were produced, one of the suspects grabbed the money, and both males fled the residence and entered a waiting vehicle,” police said.
The two suspects are described as wearing navy-blue T-shirts, beige khaki pants, brown shoes, and navy blue baseball caps. They escaped in a dark blue Volkswagen Atlas with tinted rear windows.
Authorities are asking local residents to check their home security cameras between 1 p. m. and 2 p. m. on Tuesday for anything that could assist in solving this case.
If anyone has information, they can reach out to Waterloo Regional Police Service or Crime Stoppers.
Police emphasized that officers “will never request cash, valuables, or financial assets for safekeeping, evidence collection, or investigative purposes.”
Proper identification from a police officer includes a photo, person’s name, rank and the police service they belong to.
“Police officers, including those in plainclothes, will clearly identify themselves and will never discourage you from verifying their identity,” said the police service.
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