A 29 year-old man has been charged with blackmail and impersonating a police officer following reports from members of the public of a man trying to fine them for breaching Covid-19 rules.
It was reported to police that a man had attempted to fine an elderly woman £500 for not wearing a face covering and had escorted her to a cashpoint to pay him.
Newham council are reiterating to members of the public that both police and council officers will always have ID and would never demand payment of any cash in person.
They will also never ask anyone to hand over cash or bank cards to a courier or to pay a fine or a fee over the phone or online and will never state you are committing a crime by not going along with it.
Cllr Beckles said: “Unfortunately during the pandemic we’ve been made aware of a number of scams in the borough whereby criminals have attempted to extort money from residents under the guise of Covid.
“If you’re ever in any doubt about whether or not you are dealing with a genuine police or council enforcement officer you can ask for proof of identification and if you remain at all unsure call the police control room on 101 to report any suspicious activity.”
A spokeswoman for the MET Police added: “In the event a police officer needs to speak with you, if they are not in uniform they will identify themselves clearly by showing you their warrant card. This is proof of their identity and authority.
“If you want to verify their identity, you can ask for their warrant number, call 101 to check they are who they claim to be. A genuine warrant card will have a hologram and the signature of the Commissioner - not the holder.”