These are the postal scams heartless con artists and 'psychics' are trying in Croydon

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Letters claiming to be from psychics that promise good luck in exchange for cash are among the postal scams trading standards officers have warned people to be aware of in Croydon.

The council says an elderly woman from Coulsdon has been plagued by letters from psychics and clairvoyants for weeks, which cost her hundreds of pounds, as one of a number of plots highlighted as part of Scams Awareness Month.

The letters addressed the lady by first name, adding an air of familiarity and the appearance that they are friendly and engaging.

The scammer will claim they can provide the victim with the secret to achieving good luck and fortune in exchange for a cash fee of between £25 and £40.

The elderly lady responded to several of the letters over time, meaning she has lost hundreds of pounds to the scammers.

Because the frauds share contact details of their victims with other con artists, the woman has now been inundated with letters from 'clairvoyants' and 'psychics' from around the world.

Top tips to avoid postal scams:

1. Never send money to a company in order to claim a prize or winnings.

2. Watch out for letters with too-good-to-be-true offers, it's probably a scam.

3. Don't disclose personal information to people or companies you do not know.

4. If you get a lot of mail, get a trusted friend or family member to help you sort through it.

5. If you think the letter is a scam report it and shred it.

The council's trading standards team are now working with the woman to help beat the scammers.

Meanwhile, one elderly resident was on the verge of handing over the deeds to his house to scammers, after he'd already lost all his savings, leaving him unable to afford food.

Another common scam is for people to send out personalised letters promising a large payout after the death of someone who shares the recipient's surname.

What can consumers do to tackle scams?

Here are three things that residents can do if they suspect they are the target of a scam.

• Get advice from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service online at http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or by calling 03454 04 05 06. More information about Scams Awareness Month can be found at http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/sam16/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

• Report scams and suspected scams to Action Fraud online at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or by calling 0300 123 2040. Reporting can help prevent it happening to others. If debit cards, online banking or cheques are involved in the scam, the consumer's first step should be to contact their bank or card company.

• Tell family, friends, neighbours so that they can avoid scams.


Councillor Hamida Ali, cabinet member for communities, safety and justice, said: "Sadly, the Coulsdon resident's case is a good indicator of a kind of scam that's all too common.

"Every year, trading standards officers and police identify hundreds of victims of this kind of scam, many of whom have trustingly handed over large sums to the heartless rogues behind them.

"It's hoped that, through the channel of Scams Awareness Month, more people will learn of the ways and means by which these merciless crooks take advantage of people without a thought for the misery and hardship their actions cause.

"Fortunately, this case came to light before the victim lost too much but, had the scam gone on unchecked, there was the very real possibility of her losing her life savings – or more."

It is estimated that prize draw scams alone cost the UK public £60m a year, while other common postal scams include competition offers, fortune telling and catalogue scams.

Modern technology makes it easy to mass-produce scam letter that can appear to be personal correspondence or important documents. Last year, 16 per cent of scams reported to Action Fraud arrived through domestic letter boxes.