Fraudsters posing as Metropolitan Police officers are targeting vulnerable and elderly people in the Maldon district.
Eight people were called in one day by scammers claiming they had been the victim of a fraud and police needed them to withdraw money for forensic testing.
One Maldon woman lost £1,800 and a South Woodham Ferrers victim lost £10,000 in a separate incident.
The fraudsters use local taxi drivers or their own couriers to collect the money, and Essex Police has warned cabbies to be on their guard if they receive a suspicious call to collect money from someone’s house.
Det Chief Insp Paul Maleary said: “The Maldon and Burnham areas have been targeted by thieves posing as police officers.
“They normally contact people using the names of Det Sgt Bailey, Det Con Miller and PC Heffernon, all claiming to be Metropolitan Police officers based at Holborn."
* Full story in today's Standard.
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