awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

Police and trading standards are warning “it could be you” after a man was conned out of thousands of pounds in an elaborate lottery ticket scam.

The promise of big money from a winning ticket saw a vulnerable victim scammed to the tune of £2,500 as two men took advantage of his good nature earlier this month.

As if straight out of an episode of Hustle, the scam happened near the Whitefriars Shopping Centre on Friday, October 7, between 1pm and 3pm.

The scene plays out like this: a man approaches the victim in the street, asking directions to an immigration solicitor’s office.

cleft chin of street conman

the victim described both men involved in the scam as european, with dark olive skin.

the first man is described as aged in his mid-50s to mid-60s, balding, but with greying hair at the sides. he has a cleft chin with white hair protruding from the cleft.

both men are believed to be between 5ft 4in and 5ft 6in tall.

the second man was smartly dressed and thought to be aged between 30 and 40.

he was clean shaven, wearing a pair of thin framed, black rimmed glasses. he was wearing a grey/black shirt with a grey/black wool jumper, a black tie, black trousers and black shoes. he was also wearing a black knapsack across his chest.

fraud investigator rebecca coku is keen to make sure the men have carried out their last con.

she said: “we’d ask people to think very carefully before handing money over to someone they don’t know, no matter how good the deal seems.

“there is a lot of helpful information and details on some of the scams out there on the consumer direct website.”

the site is www.oft.gov.uk/consumer-advice/oft-and-cd

if you can identify these conmen or if you have any information which could help police, call 01843 222130 quoting reference ey/016395/11 or call kent crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

After striking up conversation, he reveals he has a winning lottery ticket he can not cash due to his illegal status and not having a bank account. A second man soon joins the conversation, offering to check the ticket.

He heads off to a supermarket, returning moments later with a results print out claiming the ticket is worth £500,000.

At this point, the first man asks both the victim and the other man if they would buy into helping him cash the ticket for £5,000. The three agree they will split the winnings between them once the money gets paid into an account.

The victim leaves, returning shortly after with £2,500 in cash, ready to hand over.

All three have already planned to drive to lottery head office in Watford to cash the ticket.

But, as they head to the car, the first man suddenly appears to fall ill with the second offering to help him to a nearby chemist to get some pills.

Within seconds, the men are gone and so is the victim's cash.

Marion Ward, from Kent Trading Standards, stresses people should always be vigilant when strangers approach asking for money.

She said: "We were gobsmacked when we heard this, it almost seemed like a con itself.

"It's very sad to hear someone being duped out of money like this. We all want a good bargain from time to time, but you must always make sure an offer is the real deal ."

It is believed to be the first time this con has taken place in Kent, but it has been recently reported in south London as well.

• If you have been approached by someone in a similar situation, contact Kent Police on 01622 690690.