A PENSIONER from Barry who is teaming up with national charity Age Cymru to warn older people about scam mail.

Llwyd Llewelyn, 76, is plagued by scam mail, often receiving around 12 items a week through his door and at one time double that.

He said: "I get around 12 pieces of scam mail in the post every week – the type that tells you ‘Congratulations, you have won £100,000. Please send us your administration fee so that you can claim your prize today’.

“I get scam mail every day and it is an absolute nuisance - I just throw it in the bin.

“At its worst I was getting 24 items of scam mail a day and it all started after I contacted the Irish Lottery to request information about the company four years ago.

“Thankfully the situation is better since I reported it to Trading Standards, but I am still getting scam mail and lots of it every week.

“But I wonder how many other people out there are also getting this rubbish in the post and actually responding to it?”

Age Cymru is Wales’s largest charity for older people and it is supporting Scams Awareness Month, this July.

Age Cymru’s Gerry Keighley said: "Every year, thousands of older people across Wales are targeted by scam - from doorstep rogue traders; to scam mail arriving in the post; scam emails on their computers or scam telephone calls to their homes.

“Scams can destroy people’s lives and tear families apart, but unfortunately only a fraction of these cases – about 2,500 scams, are reported to the authorities each year.

“With an estimated 95 per cent of scams not being reported and people who are targeted losing an average of £1,200, scams are clearly an enormous problem.

“Older people need to be educated about scams so that they are able to identify as and when they are being targeted.

“Older people also need to be protected from scams by methods including the setting up of No Cold Calling Zones around Wales.”

Age Cymru Advice can provide information and advice for older people about scams and how to protect themselves from scams.

‘IG05: Avoiding Scams’ is an information guide that explains the different ways criminals contact older people to try to scam them.

‘IL04: Internet Security’ explains how to stay safe while using the internet.

Both these guides are available for free by contact Age Cymru Advice on 08000 223 444.