Toronto man arrested for impersonating parking cop and collecting fees
A Toronto man faces a list of criminal charges, arrested and accused of operating a very creative but poorly-executed scam where he posed as a Parking Enforcement Officer to collect fees from unsuspecting drivers.
Toronto Police officers were called to the Yonge and Elm area of downtown on Tuesday around 10 p.m. in response to reports of a suspicious incident.
Police allege that a man dressed as a Parking Enforcement Officer approached another man sitting in his parked car. Cops say the accused, who was wearing what appears to be a one-day-late Halloween costume, announced that he would be issuing a parking ticket, and suggested that money could be paid up-front for a reduced rate.
Police say the accused was wearing a bright yellow safety vest with the words, "parking enforcement" on the back, along with a bullet-proof vest, a light blue shirt and black pants, and was equipped with a brown clipboard with yellow paper tickets.
News Release - Personating Peace Officer Investigation, Police believe there may be more victimshttps://t.co/p4YIrJzuIs pic.twitter.com/sM43AMNZkm
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) November 2, 2022
Cops caught up to the accused and arrested Abdulhamid Mohamed, 22, of Toronto on Wednesday.
Mohamed is charged with Personating a Peace Officer, Extortion, and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, with the third charge indicating that the accused was indeed successful in scamming money out of unsuspecting motorists.
The accused was scheduled to appear at College Park Court on Wednesday morning.
Though a suspect was apprehended, police has stated that they believe there may be additional victims, and are asking anyone who was offered a suspicious up-front parking ticket payment to reach out with information.
Toronto Police Service
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