SCAMNESTY has been launched in St Helens to encourage people to drop scam mailings into a special post box.

St Helens Council has put a post box at the contact centre in Wesley House as part of a national “Scamnesty” campaign.

Coinciding with the Office of Fair Trading’s scams awareness month, the council is asking people to post emails, letters, deceptive prize draws and get-rich-quick schemes to help OFT prevent others from being scammed.

Every year around three million people fall victim to mass marketed scams costing an estimated £3.5bn a year.

Many of these scams target the elderly and the vulnerable less than five per cent of victims report the scam.

Cllr Carole Kavanagh, executive member for Environmental Protection, said: “The scam mailings dropped in at the Contact Centre could be critical in gathering information and evidence on the latest scams.

“Trading Standards officers receive complaints from people who have been victims or are suspicious when they receive these scams.”

For information contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.