Especially in tourist areas, some criminals have taken to pretend they are police officers.

The text on the leaflet says:

Groups of criminals are posing as police officers in this area in order to trick people and steal their money, credit cards and valuables. These individuals wear ordinary clothes and use fake Police IDs to search people and take what they can. If you are stopped by a police officer, ALWAYS ask to see their Police ID – a genuine Police ID cannot be copied and looks like on the poster.

The ID card will always have:

• Photograph of the officers
• a name
• identity number
• Metropolitan Police Service hologram

Remember:

• a genuine police officer will ALWAYS explain why you have been stopped and give you a form after the search is complete
• A genuine police officer will ALWAYS be able to show you a valid ID and tell you which police station they are from
• A genuine police officer will NEVER ask you for PIN numbers or money.

If you are in any doubt about an officer’s identity, call 101 and explain the situation, stating the officer’s name and warrant number. The operator will understand you are verifying identity. A real police officer will understand what you are doing.

In an emergency always call 999.

There is also a Chinese, Japanese and Arabic translation of the leaflet available.