Fraud victim handed over £550 every month to scammers
A Shropshire woman who fell victim to mass market scams found herself handing over thousands of pounds in the false belief that she would receive more money in return.
More than 40 different scammers targeted the woman, who handed over £550 every month for a year.
And even though Shropshire Council public protection officers stepped in to give the woman, who has not been named, help and advice, she continues to receive dozens of unwanted letters every week, although she no longer opens them.
Steve Charmley, the council's cabinet member responsible for public protection, said the fraudsters often targeted the most vulnerable people. The most popular scams are sent through the post or involve a phone call and range from well-worded letters on headed paper to overpriced catalogues.
The correspondence is sent from all parts of the world, claiming that the recipient has won a substantial amount of money in a foreign lottery, is in line for big prizes such as cars or holiday homes, or has been left money in a will.
The fraudsters will then ask for a small administration fee in order to activate the windfall, and this is the scam. Replying to just one of the letters will result in the victim being placed on a "suckers list", which in turn will see the number of scams in the post multiply to dozens of letters every day.
Mr Charmley said: "If you are a carer or a family member, please ensure you do all you can to make sure your loved ones don't fall victim." Debbie Cooper, public protection officer, said: "Our advice is simple – if you receive an unsolicited call, letter or email that sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Anyone receiving scam mail, or who knows of anyone experiencing problems with continuous telephone calls from persistent cold callers, can contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on 03454 040506 to report the incident, or Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9000.
