A pensioner has been conned out of his life savings by a "devious" Spanish lottery scam.

The 81-year-old, who does not want to be identified, lost £115,000 to what experts believe is a highly organised gang operating from the Continent.

The pensioner, who lives in West Sussex, was told he had "won" 850,000 euros in a letter he described as 'professional looking' claiming to be from a firm of attorneys in Madrid.

Despite having never entered a lottery in Spain the pensioner was then told he could collect the prize if he paid cash up-front on taxes and security clearance.

In all he was given 14 different items to pay for before being told he could claim the cash prize. But after parting with his savings the money never materialised.

It is believed to be the worst single loss suffered by someone in Sussex who have been targeted by the lottery scams.

Trading standard bosses have said people across Sussex, particularly the elderly, are regularly falling victim to similar cons and losing thousands of pounds.

They are now warning other people to be alert to the way they operate.

Brian Stone, head of West Sussex County Council Trading Standards, said: "The pensioner accepts he has lost his money but wants his experiences to be passed on to warn others not to fall prey to this type of insidious scam.

"He is now providing valuable information to Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading's Scambusters Team.

"This scam displays some of the key sophisticated methods used to hook consumers."

The pensioner was told not to tell anyone about the "prize", which experts believe made it harder for relatives or friends to pick up on the scam.

West Sussex County councillor Lionel Barnard said: "Ignore any claims from abroad that say you are a winner. One thing is certain - if you take the bait, you'll end up a loser, as this sad case reveals."

Trading standards in Sussex have previously warned about a Canadian lottery scam which deceptively uses the name of a genuine lottery draw.

Alison Wheeler, principal officer with West Sussex trading standards, said: "Older people who can ill afford it are being fooled into sending large sums to con artists.

"Take our word for it: any prize win that asks you to send money in order to receive it will be worth less than you send."

West Sussex Trading Standards said anyone who believes they are being targeted by similar scams should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

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