POLICE are warning people in Malvern to be on the look-out for scam letters amongst their Christmas post.

The letters, which appear to be from a Chinese bank employee offering to share millions of dollars with the recipient, are not genuine and should be ignored.

Police advise anyone who receives one not to reply and to either throw the letter away or hand it in to police.

Leslie Moss, 84, from Malvern received one of the letters on Monday, December 8, and knew imediately that it was a scam.

“I wasn’t taken in but I’d like to warn other people. I’d feel terrible if someone else was taken in,” said Mr Moss.

The letter Mr Moss received says it is from Chi-Sing Cheung, a principal assurance manager at the Industrial Bank of China. It is correctly addressed to him and says he has been traced and contacted because a businessman called Alfred Moss has died in China. The letter suggests that in the absence of a will the bank employee could arrange for the assetts to be signed over to Mr Moss himself, if he’s willing to co-operate, keep quiet and share the proceeds. The assetts it says total 8.35 million American dollars.

“I knew it wasn’t genuine and I’m going to show it to the police so other people won’t get taken in,” he said.

At a time when a lot of people have financial problems and easy riches appear to being offered, the police want to warn people to be careful and if in doubt about any similar letter to contact police.