November 24, 2017 2.04 pm This story is over 76 months old

Catalogue and lottery scams cost Lincolnshire residents at least £2m

Victims can be bombarded by between 25 and 30 pieces of mail a day.

Over 2,000 people were targeted by scam mail in Lincolnshire in the last 18 months.

In the last 18 months, Trading Standards has visited 350 people. Of those, officers believe the total financial detriment to be an estimated £2 million.

Most of this money has been sent to catalogue, clairvoyant, lottery and sweepstake scams.

Scams are cleverly designed to tempt people into parting with as much cash as possible.

As part of National Consumer Week, which will be launched on November 27, Trading Standards is hoping to raise awareness as to the scale of this fraud.

Trading Standards Officer Eve Wrighton said: “These criminals often target the vulnerable such as people who are isolated, recently bereaved or suffering a form of cognitive impairment.

“Victims can be bombarded by between 25 and 30 pieces of mail a day. We are working with partner agencies such as Lincolnshire Police across Lincolnshire and the region to raise awareness.”

*Peter, who lives in Fiskerton, has been working with Trading Standards Officers after falling victim to the fraudsters.

He said: “These people know how to make you buy and carry on buying week after week.

“I hope others learn from what I have been through.

“If just a few people see this and realise that it could happen to them then it will have done some good.”