Fake Police Officer (18) Arrested in Mechelen Scam Sting
An 18-year-old man from Antwerp has been arrested in Mechelen after posing as a police officer in an attempt to collect a laptop and personal security codes from a 62-year-old resident, according to VRT NWS. The victim’s vigilance turned the tables on the suspected fraudster, who now faces an ongoing investigation.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, 16 September, shortly before noon, when the victim — who lives on the Schijfstraat — received a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee of the Rivierenland police zone. The caller told him a colleague would come by later that day to collect his laptop, card readers, mobile phone and personal codes, ostensibly to keep them safe. An appointment was set for 14:00.
Rather than comply, the man immediately contacted the real police. Two inspectors waited with him inside the home while other officers were discreetly stationed in the neighbourhood, RTV reported.
The Arrest
Around 15:00, the victim received another call saying the “employee” was delayed but on his way. About twenty minutes later, an unknown man presented himself at the door. When the officers opened it, he fled. After a short chase and a scuffle, they overpowered him — though he resisted heavily, and three police inspectors were lightly injured.
According to Radio Reflex, the suspect was caught red-handed (op heterdaad) thanks to the victim’s quick thinking. The man was taken to the police station for further investigation and made available to the prosecutor’s office. On Thursday afternoon, he was brought before an investigating judge, who released him under conditions.
A Recurring Scam in the Region
The case fits a well-documented pattern of “babbeltruc” — doorstep and telephone con tricks — in which criminals impersonate police officers to persuade victims, often elderly people, to hand over valuables or cash for supposed safe keeping. The Rivierenland police zone has repeatedly warned the public about this modus operandi.
As RTV reported in May 2024, an elderly woman was scammed after receiving a warning call about suspicious persons, after which fake officers came to her door to take her possessions into safe keeping. The perpetrators fled with her money and jewellery.
A more serious case occurred earlier this year. On 16 February 2026, an 81-year-old woman in Mechelen was contacted by someone posing as a neighbourhood inspector, who claimed two suspects targeting her belongings had been arrested. She handed over her mobile phone, bank card and several jewels to a man with a fake police badge. While she was still on the line, EUR 1,800 was withdrawn from her account and nearly EUR 5,000 was transferred to a bank account in Portugal. Using camera images, police later identified and arrested three suspects aged 20, 22 and 24, seizing cash, laptops, phones and card readers during searches.
What’s Next
The Rivierenland police zone and the prosecutor’s office stress that officers never come to a home to collect bank cards, PIN codes, money, jewels or other valuables. Anyone receiving such a call should immediately end it and contact police via the emergency number 112 or the local control room at 015 464 464.
This week’s case stands out because the target recognised the scam and cooperated with police, leading to an arrest in the act — a contrast to the February case, in which the victim lost significant money. It also highlights the involvement of very young perpetrators in this type of fraud.
Several questions remain unanswered. The suspect’s name has not been released, and the exact charges and conditions attached to his release have not been specified. It is not yet known whether the 18-year-old acted alone or as part of a wider network, as was the case in the February operation.