TRADING standards staff today welcomed a Government campaign to encourage people to rip up the rip-offs the bogus draws and competitions which promise huge prizes but never deliver.

They deal with as many as 15 complaints a week from householders who have received letters and e-mails telling them they have been allocated large sums but that the cheque cannot be posted until they have sent a registration fee.

"Too many people are becoming victims of these scams," said Swindon Council's fair trading team leader Geoff Snowball.

"They post the money, but get nothing in return."

Estimates indicate that up to £100 million a year is being lost in Britain by victims who fall foul of these scams, many of which originate from addresses abroad.

Mr Snowball said one of the most cynical scams investigated by his department concerned a letter offering information which would lead to good luck and long life in return for a cash "gift" of at least £25.

It purported to come from a dying 92-year-old clairvoyant named Martine Bouvier and gave an address in Geneva, Switzerland.

A search of the internet revealed warnings about other scams perp-etrated by Martine Bouvier from various other locations in Europe.

During the past year the department has warned people about bogus prize letters from Canada, Nigeria and South Africa.

One South African con trick even used a Swindon PO box number.

"We were getting up to 30 complaints about this one in a couple of weeks," said Mr Snowball. "Fortunately we were able to find a chink in its operation and managed to get it shut down."

He believes the number of com-plaints his office receives are just the tip of a nasty iceberg.

"Many people who send off money and find they have been duped don't say anything because they don't want to admit they have been taken in."

He said the perpetrators buy mailing lists and target areas where they believe people are likely to be vulnerable. Many of the recipients are hard-up and under stress when they receive them and regard the "prizes" as a lifeline.

"But these things don't go only to individuals.

"The latest one we had was from a group of individuals who were sending bogus mail drops to businesses urging them to contribute £200 which would go to buy books for schools in needy areas," he said.

The letters sounded completely plausible.

The Government is now issuing Stop Now orders which enable rogue traders to be taken to court.

Consumer Minister Melanie Johnson said: "Postal scams can be very convincing and too many people are falling for their empty promises.

"Bogus prize draws and competitions and other similar promotions offer unexpected rewards but simply deliver a hole in the pocket."

Her department advising people to examine carefully communications that appear to offer unexpected prizes and ask themselves if they can afford to lose the money they are being asked to pay in registration fees.

It also cautions them to be wary of offers which ask for replies to be telephoned via what turns out to be an expensive premium rate number.