This week is a mass marketing fraud awareness week – dubbed ‘Silence of the Scams’ – when everyone is being warned to watch out for scam mail.
UK citizens lose around £2.4 billion every year as a result of scam mail.
Sent by professional fraudsters, scam letters are designed to con recipients into investing in bogus schemes such as fake lotteries, share frauds and inheritance scams. They depend on persuading victims to hand over money based on promises of valuable goods, services, or benefits that are never delivered.
After replying to a ‘tempter’ letter, victims’ names can be put on a ‘suckers list’ which is then sold to other fraudsters. Chronic victims include some of the most vulnerable people in society, some of whom end up being hounded with terrible consequences.
Anyone who has lost money after responding to scam mail should report it to Action Fraud.
Read more about Silence of the Scams on the Metropolitan Police’s website.
To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use the online fraud reporting tool.
