Fraudsters in Uttlesford pretended to work for the police in an attempt to con money out of elderly victims.

The first report came to Essex Police on December 15, after an elderly woman was contacted by someone claiming to work for the police. The victim was then asked to transfer money to keep it safe as part of an ongoing investigation. Later in the day another call came in from a different victim with a similar report.

On December 24, another elderly victim was phoned by someone again pretending to be from the police. They asked him to exchange more than £4,000 into euros or dollars for collection.

In all these instances, no money was stolen, and the investigation has been transferred to Action Fraud.

Police or bank officials will never ask for bank details over the phone. Anyone who has had a call similar to this or has any information is asked to contact police.

You can submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk or use the 'Live Chat' button to speak to an online operator between 7am-11pm.

If you think you or someone you know has been defrauded, you can report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.