A householder handed over money to scammers claiming to be from the Australian and Nigerian lotteries.

The victim believed the letters were genuine despite being warned by their spouse not to pay.

The sum of money lost has not been disclosed but community warden Alison Beaumont told of this case as a wider warning against con merchants.

Ms Beaumont, speaking at the Tower Hamlets Forum annual meeting last night, said: “A lot of my time has been taken in dealing with scam victims.

“They send money to scammers however much you advise them not to.”

She said that those targeted were mainly those aged 75 or more but there are also other scams such as student loan ones.

She told the meeting, at Curzon Hall, Curzon Road: “There is a scam for everybody.

"They are by criminal gangs. That is what they do for a living and they are good at it.

“It can cost people thousands of pounds.”

Ms Beaumont is the Kent County Council community warden for Dover’s Tower Hamlets and St Radigunds wards.

B ut her work on scam cases, which also involves the council’s trading standards department, can take her anywhere in Dover district.

KCC trading standards says that scams can come in the form of letters, phone calls, emails, the internet or advertisements.

The department says that you are 20 times more likely to be robbed at your computer screen than in the street.

Common types of mail scams are bogus letters concerning prize draws, inheritance, lotteries, investments and debt.

Trading standards say that people in Kent are receiving a wide range of fake prize draw letters saying they have won cash or an item such as a laptop computer.

They are told to claim their prize by buying an item or paying a release fee.

These letters are often followed by telephone calls to push the victim into claiming.

Trading standards say that in one day 22,000 people replied with cash to one scam mailshot, giving the crooks a total £500,000.

Householders are advised never to respond to such letters and never send cash or disclose personal details.

If you have received a scam email do not click any links, open attachments or send back a reply.

Fake emails can be spotted in various ways.

For example, the sender’s address does not tally with the trusted organisation’s website address and does not use your proper name calling you, for example, “dear customer.”

The message could urge to you act at once or your account may be closed or ask for information such as your password or bank details.

The email can even contain spelling or grammatical errors.

For details about protecting yourself from these and other swindles visit the website kent.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/consumer-protection/scams.