When Perpetrators Claim To Be Police Or Informants

Abusers and rapists sometimes invent or co‑opt identities — claiming to be police informants, DEA/FBI agents, crime lords, or drug dealers — as a way to intimidate, confuse, and silence victims. These false identities serve a tactical purpose: they give perpetrators apparent leverage (threats of retaliation, claims of protection, or promises they can “get” the victim) and they help shift attention away from the abuser’s actions toward a sensational story the abuser controls.