Fake police officer allegedly swindled woman out of more than €60,000 in Portugal

Portuguese investigators say a man posed as a police officer on Facebook to gain women’s trust, with one victim allegedly losing more than €60,000 over the course of the scheme.

Portugal’s Judicial Police say they arrested a 52-year-old man suspected of carrying out a long-running fraud scheme in which he presented himself on Facebook as an officer of the PSP, Portugal’s public security police. According to investigators, he approached middle-aged women, some described as emotionally vulnerable, and used those false claims to build trust. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

The investigation says that over more than a year he developed a close relationship with a woman who was in the middle of a divorce. He allegedly offered to help her with the legal process, claimed that his daughter was a lawyer and persuaded the victim that he and his daughter were helping move the divorce forward quickly. In that context, police say he obtained around €25,000 under the pretext of dealing with property division, including the family home. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Investigators also say he convinced the same woman to trust him with money and valuable objects, and later invented a serious work accident that supposedly required treatment in a private clinic. That false story allegedly led the victim to hand over several thousand more euros. According to the Judicial Police, the total loss exceeded €60,000. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

The authorities say the evidence suggests he may have used the same fake police identity with several women. In another recently reported situation, he allegedly posed as a member of the GNR and obtained around €600 from a woman by promising help with vehicle paperwork and administrative penalties. The suspect was due to appear before judicial authorities for his first interrogation and possible coercive measures. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}