LCC Broadcast News Room

During February you'll be able to find "sin bins" across the capital's boroughs. These have been set up to receive letters or email print outs of scam mail, in a bid to catch the fraudsters responsible. The sin bins will be set up in public places such as libraries and near council offices. Once the scam mail letters are collected, they will be sent to The Office of Fair Trading , where each one will be investigated.

So what is scam mail? Pauline Rootsey who's helped implement the Scamnesty scheme in Bexley says scam mail includes letters or emails about fake lotteries, prize draws, bogus psychic predictions, get-rich-quick investments and 'miracle' health cures.

Common warning signs you should look out for are:

•·     If it sounds too good to be true: Beware of extravagant promises. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

•·     If you are contacted out of the blue: You may get a phone call, email or letter from someone you've never heard of.

•·     If you have to make a quick decision: Scammers don't like to give you time to think. They will try to pressure you into making a decision by saying things like 'If you don't act now, you'll miss out.'

•·     If you have to give away bank account details: Trustworthy firms will never contact you to ask for this information.

People most at risk of scam mailers are the elderly. Click here to find out how you can protect yourself from scammers.

One Bexley OAP received a letter from a charity asking for a donation, but when she double checked she realised it was someone impersonating the charity. You can hear her story by clicking on the play symbol to the right.

Click here to find out how you can reduce the amount of scam mail you receive.

The Scamnesty campaign runs for the whole of February but you can call Consumer Direct for advice on 08454 04 05 06 at any time through out the year.

Tell us below if you've ever fallen victim to a scamster, or if you think the Scamnesty Campaign is a good idea.