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Scooter-Riding Man Posing as Police Scams Driver Out of $200, NYPD Says

By Rebecca Fishbein | May 25, 2017 2:44pm
 “I can give you a big ticket, or you can be arrested,” the phony officer said, according to the NYPD.
“I can give you a big ticket, or you can be arrested,” the phony officer said, according to the NYPD.
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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A scooter-riding scammer posing as a police officer shook down a driver for $200 by threatening him with arrest if he didn't fork over the cash, the NYPD said.

The 45-year-old victim, from Queens, was driving the wrong way near 33 Pearl St. at noon on May 19 when a suspect riding an electric scooter yelled at him and told him, “You almost hit me,” police said.

The suspect told the victim to pull over, said he was a police officer and demanded to see his identification, the NYPD said.

The victim showed his ID before the suspect, who was not in uniform and did not display a police shield, told him, “I can give you a big ticket, or you can be arrested,” police said.

The scammer then told the victim to give him $200, which the driver handed over, according to police.

A traffic agent told police that she recognized the suspect as someone who lived in the area.

There had been no arrests as of Tuesday.

Other recent crimes in the 1st Precinct include:

► An employee at a newsstand at 88 Fulton St. said he was working on May 20 at around 8 p.m. when a man in a hoodie hit him in the head after flashing a gun, police said. “Lay down or I’ll shoot you,” the suspect said before stealing $3,000 from the register, as well as lottery tickets from the newsstand wall. There were no arrests as of Tuesday and no one at the newsstand could be immediately reached for comment.

► A Staten Island man was pick-pocketed at around 8 a.m. on May 15 at 4 Whitehall St. shortly after exiting the Staten Island Ferry, police said. The suspect swiped his expired passport, Social Security card and birth certificate. There were no arrests as of Tuesday.

► A thief nabbed a 29-year-old Brooklyn man's Samsung Galaxy Note 5 at the northeast corner of Nassau and Fulton streets on May 15 at around 8 a.m., while the victim was on his way to work, police said. The suspect, who was wearing a gray hooded jacket, jeans, and red sneakers, fled on foot, and there had been no arrests as of Tuesday.

► A shoplifter punched a security guard while stealing items from the Target store at 255 Greenwich St. on May 18, police said. Though some of the items were retrieved, the 6-foot suspect threatened to return with a gun and walked out of the store with a stolen umbrella. There were no arrests as of Tuesday.

► A pair of thieves stole a woman’s debit card while she dined at Le District at 225 Liberty St. on May 17, police said. The victim told police she had put her purse under the bar with her wallet closed, then received a text from her bank a few minutes later saying that someone was attempting to make a large purchase on her card at the Salvatore Ferragamo store located in the same building. She ran to the store and told employees that someone was using her card, when she saw two men she recognized from Le District running out of the establishment. She was able to stop the transaction and cancel the card. The store declined to comment.

► A New Jersey resident had two debit cards and her drivers’ license stolen at the Dig Inn at 80 Pine St. on May 16, police said. The victim said she left her purse unattended while eating, then realized her cards and ID had disappeared. The suspect charged $162 to one of her cards at a local Duane Reade. There were no arrests as of Tuesday. An employee at Dig Inn confirmed a detective spoke to staff, but had no further comment.

► A thief snatched nearly $2,600 worth of equipment from the Semsom Eatery at 80 Pine St. on May 16, police said. The equipment, which included a laptop computer, an iPad and Bluetooth headphones, was in a backpack on the floor of the restaurant. There were no arrests as of Tuesday, and no one at the restaurant could be be reached for comment. 

► A Queens woman dining at Westville at 333 Hudson St. on May 19 when her wallet was stolen, leading to $3,500 in charges to her credit and debit cards, police said. There have been no arrests, and no one at the restaurant could be reached for comment.