The 20-year-old Flinders man stopped on the East West Link about 7.50pm Thursday after he saw a car behind him with a red and blue light on the dashboard. The faux officer came to the man’s car window wearing a plain, light blue button-up shirt and carrying a black instrument that looked like an alcometre. 

He asked the man to produce his driver’s license, took it, and made a comment about its validity.

He then drove off without returning the license. 

His white VE model Holden Commodore sedan was last seen heading east towards the Oak Flats interchange.

The car had black-on-white number plates, dark tinted windows and fog lights. 

The Flinders man drove on and reported the matter to Lake Illawarra Police, who have encouraged people to request a Police Photo Identification Card, or Warrant Card, in cases where they are unsure about an officer’s identity. 

Police are looking for a man described as being of middle eastern appearance, six-foot tall, unshaven, with short, black hair.

The incident came the same night as a similar impersonation just north of Coffs Harbour, where a young female driver was also pulled over by a man pretending to be a police officer.

The 22-year-old woman was driving on the Pacific Highway when she noticed a car behind her with a flashing red light on the dashboard.

After she pulled over, a man carrying a torch approached her car and asked to see her driver’s licence, police say. 

When she realised the man’s car had no number plates on the front, she drove away and reported the matter to police.