Scam tells of dead Chinese man’s riches

PEOPLE in and around Keynsham are being warned to be on the alert for scam letters telling them they have been left a fortune by a businessman who died in China.

The warning comes after one such letter arrived at the home of a 93-year-old woman living in Keynsham.

The A4 size letter was purportedly from Yong Lee who described himself as an asset management officer of the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank.

He said that a British businessman with the same surname as the pensioner had died in a car crash leaving 10.5 million in US dollars.

He goes on to suggest that the pensioner could claim to be the “sole and legal beneficiary” and urges her to get in contact.

Fortunately the letter was opened by the pensioner’s daughter who mentioned it to her brother. He immediately realised it was a scam and reported the matter to police.

It is thought that the fraudsters were after the elderly lady’s bank details.

Greg Brunt, a specialist in financial crime with Avon and Somerset police, said: “If something seems too good to be true, it is. Usually people get letters or emails telling them they have won the Spanish lottery or some other competition that they have never entered. Sometimes they receive notification that a fortune awaits them if they will send off a small sum first, usually to a foreign address.

“Do not be taken in. The letters are fake and are simply a way of tricking you into parting with your hard-earned cash or getting your bank details.”