Authorities warn foreigners Beware if you are stopped by the police in Germany

There are currently an increasing number of fake police officers on the road in Germany. They are stopping cars on the highway and robbing the occupants. The police warn.

In Germany, there are more and more cases of criminals carrying out fake police checks in order to rob unsuspecting drivers. The scam is perfidious: the fraudsters use civilian vehicles and fake a traffic stop to trick their victims. Foreign drivers, especially Ukrainians, are particularly often targeted by the perpetrators. As reported by NDR, one such incident occurred on the A39 near Wolfsburg, in which the perpetrators stole around 10,000 euros.

The criminals' approach follows a certain pattern. On the A39 at the Wolfsburg junction, for example, a car with Ukrainian license plates was directed onto the hard shoulder by a civilian vehicle. The passenger of the suspicious car held an object with the word "police" in the air to simulate a real check.

The fake police officer then asked the occupants of the stopped vehicle to hand over their ID cards, vehicle documents, fanny packs and car keys. He then stole cash, a smartphone and personal documents.

Acts all over Germany

This incident is one in a series of similar cases that have occurred in various parts of Germany in recent weeks and months. The fraudsters do not appear to be limited to a specific region.

For example, similar acts were reported last weekend near Wolfsburg and on Tuesday on the A2 near Helmstedt. It is still unclear whether these incidents always involve the same perpetrators or whether the crimes are connected. However, the police are not ruling out a connection and are issuing an urgent warning about this new scam.

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself, the police advise drivers to be particularly careful with civilian police vehicles. If drivers are stopped by a civilian vehicle, they should drive on if in doubt and only stop in well-lit and busy places, such as at a service station or freeway filling station.

In addition, drivers should always ask to see the police officer's ID. Real officers have no problem identifying themselves. If in doubt, it is advisable to call the police emergency number 110 to confirm the authenticity of the check. It is also important that drivers never hand over cash or valuables if asked to do so by supposed police officers.