A man who posed as a police officer to steal vehicles from unsuspecting sellers – including a victim in Leicestershire – has been jailed for more than three years.
Mason Crozier, 25, used fake police identification and bogus bank transfers to con at least seven people across the country into handing over their vehicles, which were never paid for. One of the first known offences took place in Leicestershire, where Crozier exploited the trust of a local car seller by falsely claiming to be a serving police officer.
Picture credit: Cheshire Constabulary
Crozier, of Oak Bank Avenue, Manchester, was sentenced to three years and four months at Chester Crown Court on Monday 5 January 2026. He had earlier pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud by false representation, seven counts of impersonating a police officer, and one count of possessing an article for use in fraud.
The Leicestershire offence occurred on 11 May 2025, when Crozier arranged to view a vehicle that had previously been owned by Greater Manchester Police. After being collected from a local train station by the seller, Crozier falsely claimed he was a police officer and said he had previously driven the vehicle while on duty.
To reinforce the deception, he showed the seller what appeared to be legitimate police-linked bank payments on his mobile phone, claiming the transfer was pending. Trusting his story, the victim allowed Crozier to leave with the car. The payment was never received.
Following the Leicestershire incident, Crozier went on to carry out a string of similar offences in Blackburn, Buxton, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. In each case, he claimed to be a police officer, produced fake warrant cards, and used fabricated banking screenshots or staged phone calls to convince victims that payment was imminent.
In some cases, Crozier told victims he needed to leave urgently for a police shift, while in others he showed videos of alleged police pursuits to further bolster his lies. The total value of the stolen vehicles was £107,585.
Crozier was identified as a suspect due to previous convictions for similar offences. CCTV footage and images obtained during the investigation linked him to the crimes, and he was arrested in Manchester on 1 September 2025. A search of his address uncovered multiple fake police warrant cards matching those used during the offences.
Detective Sergeant Roy Wellings described Crozier as a “prolific offender” who repeatedly preyed on people’s trust.
“He went to extreme lengths to make his story believable,” he said. “Using fake warrant cards, false bank transfers and staged phone calls, he deliberately exploited the respect people have for police officers. His actions were calculated and showed a complete lack of remorse.”
Police are urging members of the public, including vehicle sellers, to be cautious and never release a vehicle until funds have fully cleared.
