A VICTIM of an international clairvoyancy scam had more than 40 boxes of correspondence from confidence tricksters built up over a nine-year period.

Trading standards watchdogs from Lancashire County Council have put a stop to the fraud involving the woman, who is in her 70s. But the Burnley woman was left traumatised — three or four clairvoyants were believed to be acting in tandem — and is now receiving support from her local mental-health care team.

Now consumer chiefs are urging relatives and carers to be on the lookout for the tell-tale signs which could help them to identify more people trapped by letter scammers.

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Tony Haslam, lead officer for Lancashire Trading Standards, said: “The clairvoyant is always linked with a potential ‘big money win’. The scammers share information between themselves so for vulnerable people it looks like these ‘big wins’ are coming true, when they receive a letter offering them prizes the next week.

“Most of the scammers work internationally, in France, Belgium or Switzerland, because it has become difficult for them to operate in this country “This particular lady was dealing with around three or four different clairvoyants, all working together on one big scam. It may well all have been part of one large organisation.”

She would regularly hand over £20 or £30 a time, rather than a one-off large sum, and may have lost hundreds of pounds over the past decade.

The Burnley case was highlighted first by the National Scams Hub, which trading-standards officers work with and is supported by the Metropolitan Police and Royal Mail. Mr Haslam said scam artists usually work by tapping into their victim’s vulnerabilities, and work to gradually isolate them from their families and usual social activities.

Scam letters will often make several personal references to their victims, perhaps using information gleaned from previous correspondence. Because of their isolation, victims often look forward to the next letter.

Mr Haslam is concerned that some carers or relatives may be aware of the letters and regard them as harmless. Anyone with concerns should visit the Think Jessica campaign online or call 03454 040506.