Aussie motorist warns of 'fake cop' after scary roadside ordeal
The driver has shared footage of the car with its siren on, saying he was pulled over by a 'fake' officer.
Drivers have been warned about a "fake" police car a Melbourne motorist says pulled them over on Tuesday night and demanded they "pay up".
The driver claimed to have spotted the vehicle, which had a blue flashing light on the dashboard, similar to a police car, in Hampton Park, in the city's southeast, before he says he was pulled over by the occupant.
The person claiming to be a police officer then attempted to issue a "completely random" fine, the Melbourne resident claimed on social media. In Australia, it's an offence to impersonate law enforcement, and in Victoria, those doing so can receive a penalty of 120 units, which equates to about $23,077.20, or one year imprisonment or both. It's also an offence in other states and territories.
Dashcam footage captures 'fake' police car
The driver shared brief dashcam footage of a vehicle whizzing past their own on Tuesday night with what appears to be an internal police siren activated. In one brief moment, the vehicle appears to cross the lines onto the opposite side of the road.
"Fake cop in Hampton Park. Got pulled over. Told me to pay up for a completely random thing," the driver claimed on Reddit on Wednesday, adding they reported the car to police. However, Yahoo News Australia was told Victoria Police has no knowledge of the incident.
'Definitely not a cop car'
The resident said they grew concerned after noticing the uniform worn by the person which "wasn’t even proper," they claimed. The driver also grew suspicious of the MG ZS car, which they thought was not typically used as an unmarked police car. In the video, the rego or the make and model of the car can not be clearly identified.
"Definitely not a cop car," one person agreed in the comments. "Not something cops drive so good on you for reporting it, people that impersonate cops are dangerous creeps often," another said. But others were sceptical of the driver's claim, asking why there was no dashcam footage of them being pulled over.
Previously two men pretending to be police officers forced their way inside a woman's home, and a Melbourne tradie was attacked after being pulled over by a 'fake cop'
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