Macedonia Warns of Fake Police Scam

Fake police officers operate in neighboring countries as well | Photo by: Macedonian Police Ministry

In one case, police arrested a 28-year old man who allegedly beat and robbed two tourists, an elderly Dutch couple, in the countryside near Skopje earlier this month.

The robber reportedly managed to entice the couple out of their vehicle by convincing them that he was a police officer. He then attacked them with a stick and stole 200 euros out of their wallets.

In another case, police recently attested a man in Skopje who threatened a local driver with a pointed gun. The suspect falsely presented himself as an employee of the State Intelligence Agency.

Another fake cop was arrested on suspicion of robbing a pensioner in Skopje. He managed to steal 1,500 euros from his victim, who thought he was giving the money to an officer checking for counterfeit.

Police have appealed to the public, especially tourists, to report any suspicious conduct involving men in uniform or people who flash police badges.

Cases of fake policemen robbing tourists have recently been reported in neighboring Albania, Serbia and Bulgaria as well.

In one such case, a group of criminals disguised as Serbian trafficofficers targeted tourists traveling on the Belgrade-Nis highway, stopping them and writing fake speeding tickets.

They were exposed by a Bulgarian bus driver who became suspicious when they asked for his personal belongings. The driver said that he was familiar with the deception from prior experience in his own country.