Police in Macau have urged the public to verify and check anyone claiming to be police officers before letting them enter a house.
The warning came after messages circulated on social media in recent days that a man impersonated a police officer and asked to enter someone’s house to check on a “fallen object from a building,” the Macao Daily News reported.
There was a robbery after the “police officer” entered the house.
The problem is, if a house owner refuses to let the person in, their action could be treated as willfully obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duties and the house owner could be arrested, police warned.
A police spokesperson urged citizens to verify the identity of anyone who requests permission to enter their homes, adding that enforcement officials would show certificates of appointment before taking any action.
The elderly, children and domestic workers should also be alerted and avoid allowing strangers to enter their homes, the spokesman said.