It is incredible to me that anyone falls for this, but it all comes back to the fact that people will do anything when faced with a person the believe to be in authority.
...a man allegedly claiming to be a police officer called a Fountain Hills, Ariz., Taco Bell and told the manager to conduct a strip search of a female he said had stolen a pocket book, and gave a general description of what she was wearing. Pulling aside a 17-year-old female customer who roughly fit the description, the boss complied.