Beware - scams galore

There are many scams going round, so we must keep ourselves informed. Somehow, the originators of these scams get your name and address and they send you letters saying that you have won a lottery, etc.

A reader, who does not wish to be named, sent me some of the scam letters received. This is an important issue which must be shared with all consumers.

This is the reader's letter:

I am a regular reader of your Sunday column and would be very much obliged if you would mention the scam letters I keep receiving, week after week, asking me for money. I usually throw them away but, today, I thought I would send you a sample. One of them was supposedly going to give me a brand new Mercedes 2007 model - WOW!

Can you please inform your readers about such letters once again. The first time I sent in about Lm10 but never received anything. I regret having written, but it won't happen again, as I left a message with my partner to throw them away once they come in the post. My postman said he delivers tens of such letters every day and knows someone who fell for it and paid huge sums of money.

Thank you for the good work you are doing. (Name withheld)

First of all I thank the person who sent me this letter. If there is anybody who has received such a letter and fell for it, I invite them to contact me, even if they do not wish to reveal their name.

Finally, I am featuring excerpts from two of the scam letters received. Since I am not revealing the person's name, I shall refer to him as "Mr Bloggs":

Dear Mr Bloggs,

This office takes pleasure in notifying you that you are a guaranteed cash award recipient in the Payment Resources Group International Cash Award and we urgently request that you return the enclosed Cash Claim form 2719, bearing your Cash Claim Number EXM803 and 0776219669 immediately, allowing us to rush your cash award to you by international air post...

Further on in this letter, Mr Bloggs is informed that as a special bonus he will receive a "stunning enameled gold heart pendant with a genuine hand-cut and polished .50 pt diamond on an 18 inch chain". However, Mr Bloggs must pay a transmittal fee of US$31.75 to receive this additional bonus.

This is the opening of another letter from "Fifth Avenue Galleries":

First, I'd like to offer you my sincerest congratulations.

I am absolutely thrilled to be writing you this letter that you've been selected as a guaranteed cash award recipient.

Mr Bloggs, you have just been allocated an official cash payout of US$833.30 in cash for the next 12 months totalling US$10,000.00... (Harry T. Fulford, Chief Financial Officer)