Man loses £100k in internet con

A Wyre Forest man has lost £100,000 in an email con. MP Dr Richard Taylor called on Parliament for clearer warnings to be issued about internet fraud.

The Wyre Forest Independent MP told the Commons his constituent, a professional man, fell victim when he was told in an email he had won a sum of money in a foreign lottery but that it was held by Customs awaiting payment of duty.

He said: "To my utter amazement, he paid £104,300 as duty and then received a receipt ostensibly on HM Revenue and Customs paper. I have been told by HMRC that it was not a bad forgery."

He said the receipt actually asked for a further £37,240 in duty, and it was only when his constituent, who has not been identified, went to borrow more money that his lender smelled a rat.

"HMRC is now working with West Mercia Police, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Association of Chief Police Officers, City of London Police and the National Fraud Strategic Authority, but there is little hope of getting the chap's money back," the Dr Taylor went on to say.

Tory MP Nigel Evans said there was an onus on people who received such emails to "utilise at least an ounce of common sense and realise that you need to buy a ticket to win a prize".