A man who thought he was buying a laptop in a Rainham supermarket car park was left holding two bottles of water.
Police are appealing for information about the incident which occurred on Saturday around 7.30pm at Tesco, Bridge Road.
The 26-year-old victim was approached by two men who asked him if he wanted to buy a laptop, and he paid them �420 in cash.
When he opened the parcel it only contained two bottles of water.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Romford CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here