"Colleagues" in their sights

Fake policemen

Fake police officers hurriedly sped off in the Waldviertel before the "real" police could catch up with them.

(Bild: P. Huber)

The two men and the 61-year-old man from the municipality of Schweiggers had had a very different idea: The fake police officers stopped the man with a "civilian vehicle" and flashing blue lights and wanted to collect money from him for alleged traffic violations. But the man from Waldviertel stood firm - here is the whole story.

The 61-year-old car driver in the Zwettl district was quite astonished when the VW Touran with Viennese license plates driving behind him suddenly overtook him with blue lights and passed him shortly before the village of Bernschlag. A man got out of the blue Touran at around 2.30 p.m., approached the 61-year-old and demanded his driver's license.

Fake policeman with shoulder-length hair
The man, who was about 1.80 meters tall with shoulder-length hair and dressed in blue trousers, jacket and sweater, then demanded 100 euros for various traffic violations. However, as the driver from Schweiggers was not aware of any guilt because he had neither disregarded a stop sign nor committed a speeding offense, he refused to pay the fine.

Demand for money doubled
With the refusal, the false police officer increased the demand and now demanded twice as much. Despite the 200 euro demand, the 61-year-old asked the supposed police officer for identification. He then got into his "plainclothes car" - the blue Touran - and sped off with the second man.

Not the only case
The man from Schweiggers then drove to the Allentsteig police station and reported the false police officers. There was another case the next day. But here, too, the fraudsters came away empty-handed.