SURREY RCMP on Tuesday announced an ongoing fraud investigation involving the personation of a police officer in the Newton area.

On January 23, the Surrey RCMP received a report of an individual who allegedly posed as an undercover RCMP officer to obtain money from an elderly couple. The suspect advised the couple that he was investigating counterfeit currency and proceeded to defraud them over a two-day period.

Surrey RCMP frontline officers investigated and were able to quickly identify and track down the suspect thanks to CCTV surveillance video. Harmit Johal, 42, of Surrey has been charged with one count of personating a peace officer, and two counts of fraud.

“The public needs to be aware that police will never contact or solicit them for the purpose of checking if their money is counterfeit,” said Surrey RCMP Sgt. Chad Greig. “Never give cash to someone you don’t know or are meeting for the first time. Contact the police immediately to verify any suspicious requests you have received.”

If you have been a victim of a similar occurrence, contact the Surrey RCMP or your local police. Anyone with information is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or contact Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.