Police today issued a warning to the public about a new scam – which has seen a Shropshire pensioner conned out of £30,000.

They urged householders to be on their guard as the scam was complicated and well-rehearsed.

The warning comes after a 79-year-old Shrewsbury woman was left £30,000 out of pocket after being targeted by scammers.

The con, which involves phone calls and letters from a man claiming to be from Canada, has spread across the UK and involves its vulnerable, elderly victims posting cheques to one another for “advance fees” to release a larger amount of cash.The Shrewsbury victim was first contacted by the scammer by letter and then later by phone. She was told she had won a large amount of money from an international prize fund and to expect cheques for some of the money in the post.

When these cheques arrived and cleared in her account, the man called again and asked her to send cash via Western Union to release the rest of the funds.

It turned out the cheques she had been sent had come from another victim in Scotland, also an elderly lady, who had been told by the scammer that she was posting fees to a solicitor.

Detective Constable Mark Hill, Shropshire division’s fraud specialist, said: “Of course, no money ever materialised and the lady in Shrewsbury has lost about £30,000 of her savings. And the woman in Scotland who was duped into sending her cheques has lost about £15,000 – her life savings.

“You wouldn’t pay the National Lottery to give you your jackpot if you had all six numbers, so anything which says you have to is a scam.

“I am urging anybody who receives any correspondence, whether it be by post, phone, e-mail or text message, not to send any money or give any bank account or personal details. There are so many variations on this scam and people need to be on their guard.

“If you are contacted in any way saying you have won or are due to get some money, tell a family member or friend who can then investigate to see if it is genuine. Or even contact the police if you have nobody else to turn to.”

By Sarah Bullock