"Fake clairvoyants" are amongst the “paper” scams conning dozens of "vulnerable" people in south Bucks out of hundreds of thousands of pounds, according to Trading Standards.

Residents were urged at a meeting of Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch to keep an eye on vulnerable neighbours and family members who may have fallen victim to an organised crime network.

Chris Holden from Bucks and Surrey Trading Standards told the meeting on July 25 he is currently working with 30 women in Bucks who have been targeted by paper scams which include unscrupulous sales catalogues and "fake" clairvoyants.

One elderly south Bucks woman has lost £160,000 after sending at least £40 a week to a supposed clairvoyant named Laura Vivien in exchange for pages of “scientific” predictions.

Another woman from Gerrards Cross was conned out of £317,000 and another from Iver lost £140,000 through similar scams which were sent through their letterboxes.

Mr Holden urged residents to help fight crime groups which target vulnerable people around south Bucks, which are likely to be based internationally, by reporting any suspicious behaviour to Trading Standards.

He said: “Over the last four or five years I have been the lead officer of the national trading standards scams team based in Eastbourne, but they are a national service, and they send us every month 25 new cases relating to this sort of thing.

“People who are sending off shed loads of money to these sorts of schemes, the Australian Lottery, bio tonic, vital nature, who do catalogues that come through the post…

"You can help with this because you may very well know someone, it could be a neighbour, and it could be a friend or relative, who is getting piles of stuff.

“You might see they have got piles of vitamins in their house, vitamins that will come from these so-called catalogues that will cure all sorts of life’s ailments and will probably interfere with prescription drugs.”

Mr Holden also warned residents that Bucks is a “high risk” area for similar organised crimes due to its proximity to London and the extensive motorway network.

He also advised that people watch out for neighbours who may be particularly vulnerable to door stop scams and distraction burglaries – such as elderly people who live alone and the recently bereaved.

Mr Holden added: “I am reinforcing that we have a role to play and I can reassure you that if you ring 101 it is taken very seriously.

“I have a serving police officer in the same team as me on the 6th floor of county hall who is particularly keeping an eye of for this information.”

To contact Bucks Trading Standards visit https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/business-and-benefits/trading-standards/