VICTIMS of mail fraud in Leigh are being reunited with their money as Wigan trading standards warns people to be on their guard for post scammers.

The National Scams Team has been working with the police and the Post Office to identify and intercept mail from mass marketing scams.

And it has identified a list of 150,000 potential victims in the UK, including people in Wigan Borough, who have paid money to fraudsters.

The mail is now being returned to local trading standards. And Wigan trading-standards officers are identifying and contacting these people to offer them further advice and support.

Each of the victims visited so far had spent £5, believing that it was an administration fee to access a prize-draw win of £500,000. But they were being scammed.

When officers visited people to explain that these prize draws are a scam and to advise against sending more cash or cheques, they found that some residents had been responding to the frauds for several years — often without the knowledge of their family.

A man whose wife died six years ago estimated he has spent £30,000 responding to unsolicited mailings, including prize draws, clairvoyant readings and offers of holidays.

A woman spent around £500 per year on clairvoyants who she believed were capable of predicting her future. She had no idea the “personal” mailings were generated by computer and were sent to thousands of people.

It is estimated that 80 per cent of recipients will continue to respond to hoax mail, often because they are lonely or it becomes a habit or an obsession.

Cllr Kevin Anderson, cabinet member for environment at Wigan Council, said: “These fraudsters are often based abroad and have no conscience whatsoever. We ask friends and relatives of vulnerable residents to be on the lookout for these scam mailings and let us know if they know of someone being targeted.”

Anyone who thinks they or any of their relatives or friends have been involved can call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 040506, or report fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk.