Postal scam warning

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POLICE are warning residents of the Vale of Glamorgan to be on the look-out for postal scams which solicit personal information – often saying the recipient has won or inherited a considerable amount of money.

These scams come in various guises and start with a letter or phone call which claims to hail from lottery boards, prize draws or organisations in countries as far afield as Hong Kong, Canada, Spain, Portugal and India. Wherever they claim to be from, the principle is the same.

The letter or phone caller tells the homeowner that they have inherited or won thousands, and then asks them to submit a large number of personal details on a claim form – such as bank account details, mother’s maiden name etc – or to give them over the phone.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Louise Davies warned people never to give out personal details in this way and never to send money.

“Don’t give out your personal details, which are precisely the type of security details you would be asked to supply if you telephoned your own bank," she said.

"They will give any fraudster access to your account by pretending they are you.”