A 19-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of scamming a four-figure sum of cash from an elderly woman.
Police detained the Ilford man after receiving information about a courier fraud in Maldon.
A woman in her 80s had withdrawn the money after receiving a call from a man claiming to be a police officer.
The caller said counterfeit cash had been put into her account and provided her with a collar number and a crime reference number.
The victim got into a taxi, withdrew cash and went home before handing it to a man who was later arrested on suspicion of fraud and impersonating a police officer.
He has been released on bail until Friday, February 7.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Fraud Team on 101 quoting 42/4844/20 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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