An Echo Park dog owner fell victim to a horrible scam last week where he lost his dog to two women posing as LAPD officers.Lt. Wes Buhrmester of LAPD's Rampart Division told The Eastsider that the two women went to the dog owner's house located at the 1000 block of Waterloo Street and said they were from the LAPD Animal Cruelty Task Force. They were wearing green uniforms and showed him an official-looking flyer. The duo claimed that they had been receiving complaints that the man was starving his dog and that they need to take the dog in to check if there were signs of abuse or neglect. He handed over the dog, and hasn't heard back from anyone.
Authorities are checking with local residents to see if they've been targeted by the same scam. The suspects are described as both around 35 years old, standing at about 5 feet tall and weighing about 140 pounds. One is Hispanic and the other is white, police said.
Police are warning residents about this issue. LAPD's Rampart Division put up a Facebook post telling people that if they encounter an LAPD officer whose identity seems suspicious, they they should ask to see their identification. If that doesn't look official, you can ask them for more proof. And then call 9-1-1 if you suspect the person is impersonating an officer.
Anyone with information about the suspects is urged to contact Rampart Division burglary detectives at (213) 484-3490. On weekends or after hours, contact the Rampart Area Watch Commander at (213) 484-3400.
