East Village Thief Poses As NYPD Detective, Police Say

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A man allegedly posed as an NYPD detective to gain access to a woman's stolen phone before fraudulently using her credit cards last year, according to police.

A 29-year-old woman told authorities that she realized her phone and wallet were missing during a Saturday night out in November at Ten Degrees Bar, 121 Saint Marks Place, police said in a statement. The next morning, the woman was contacted by an unidentified person who claimed to be an NYPD detective, police said. The person allegedly told the woman he had arrested the thief and needed her phone's passcode to access its call history. The woman gave the caller her passcode, according to the police statement. Shortly after, her phone was turned off and multiple unauthorized purchases were made with her cards, police said.

Police released surveillance footage of the man suspected of impersonating an officer on Tuesday.

Lead image via Shutterstock.