Crime Trend Alert: Hospitality and Tourism industry

There have been several reports of late concerning persons posing as Police Officers and there appear to be link between these incidents, which have predominantly occurred in the Heathrow area. The scam involves a group of males in plain clothes purporting to be police officers and showing a badge of some kind in a very fast manner so that it cannot be seen in any detail. The males then proceed to search belongings of the victims before making off with any cash discovered. This is occurring most often around airports or outside of Hotels.

If any staff member or guest is approached by anyone in plain-clothes, claiming to be police, they should call police immediately if not satisfied that the correct Warrant Card has been produced..  If they are legitimate police officers, they will understand and will be more than willing to wait while their credentials are checked.  If they are not, they are more than likely to leave the scene immediately. Please still report this attempt to police, noting anything descriptive that you can.   Should officers attend your venue, again, you can always call police to check their identities.  Always look at the warrant card until satisfied.