Sandwell Council's trading standards team is warning residents to be aware of a lottery scam trying to trick people into parting with their money.

The International Postcode Online Lottery scam, which originates in Melbourne, Australia, sends out "award notification" letters falsely informing people they have won several hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The letter falsely claims that the lottery was designed and promoted by the European Lottery, Loteria El Gordo, and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to promote the 2018 World Cup and 2020 Olympic Games.

To claim their prize, the recipient is asked to contact the "Foreign Service Manager for Westpac Financial Consultants". Mark Beesley, area trading standards officer, said:

“Under no circumstances should anyone contact this fictional lottery.

“The scammers will be seeking respondents to reveal details of their bank account, debit card or credit card and are designed to con you out of your cash.

“Scams come in many forms and are getting more sophisticated all the time. Even if you think you would never be fooled, make sure you remain sceptical about offers that seem too good to be true as they always are.”

Cabinet member for living healthy lives Councillor Farut Shaeen added:

“People who live alone may be particularly vulnerable to such approaches. I would therefore urge family, friends and neighbours to ensure that they do not fall victim to this type of scam.”

Anyone who thinks that they may have been a victim a scam is asked to contact Citizens Advice consumer services on 03454 040506.