Pensioners duped by romantic scam (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Pensioners duped by romantic scam

10:57am Wednesday 21st February 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

An elderly couple were duped into racking up a £20 phone bill on a premium rate number.

Swindon Trading Standards said the couple, who do not want to be named, had fallen victim to the latest mail scam which offers to deliver a romantic gesture.

They received a card through their letterbox which told them the sender wanted to deliver them a huge bouquet of flowers and a cheque for £8,400.

It asked them to ring a number printed on the card to confirm that they would be in on the day stated to receive the delivery.

Trading Standards said the couple had seen the card as the answer to their prayers as they were hoping to use the money to pay for a hip operation.

However, they failed to read the small print, which said that the call was to a premium rate number.

"Scams are despicable and it is particularly upsetting to hear of elderly people who have repeatedly fallen victim to them."

David Wren

It said calls would be charged at £1.50 a minute and last for 13 minutes.

When no flowers or cards arrived on the delivery date, the couple realised they had been duped.

Sadly, it is not the first time the couple have fallen victim to such scams.

It means they appear on the scammers' "sucker lists"- lists of particularly vulnerable consumers who are more likely to fall for scams.

In the past three weeks they have received up to 50 junk mail and prize draw letters per day and have collected a whole carrier bag full of such mail that had been posted through their letterbox.

Coun David Wren, cabinet member for environment, which Swindon Trading Standards comes under, said: "Scams are despicable and it is particularly upsetting to hear of elderly people who have repeatedly fallen victim to them.

"Often if something sounds too good to be true it usually is. The trick-mailing received by this couple is being sent to the Premium Rate Watchdog and the Office of Fair Trading scam-busters' team for investigation."

Swindon Trading Standards has produced a free scams leaflet warning consumers about what scams to look out for.

Call them on 01793 466041 to get hold of one.