TRADING standards chiefs in Worcestershire issued an alert this week after phoney offers of a free digital camera poured into the Evesham area.

The cards, which had all been sent through the Royal Mail, were delivered to homes and businesses in various parts of the town.

Graphic design artist Keith Boulton, aged 50, received two of the cards at his Evesham home on the same day.

"The thing was, I had told members of the family that I was thinking about buying a digital camera.

"Because the cards are quite professionally done, I thought maybe someone had beaten me to the punch and ordered one for me.

"It is a very easy mistake to make, especially around Christmas time."

The cards bear a telephone number for the recipients to ring to arrange delivery of their camera. The 0906 numbers - which charge at a very high premium rate - were all slightly different.

And, fortunately for Keith, of Elm Road, they were all also unrecognised when he tried to make contact to find out what it was all about.

County council trading standards communications officer, Charlotte Knowles, said: "Con artists are regularly coming up with new ways to entice vulnerable people into get-rich-quick schemes and this "your prize is ready" scam is the latest.

"It's a new twist on an old theme, but the key, as always, is the inclusion of a premium rate telephone number.

"The thing we'd ask anyone that receives such correspondence to remember is that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is."

The Department of Trade and Industry estimates that scams such as these cost the British economy upwards of £150 million a year.

Trading standards advise anyone approached to take part in this or any other similar scheme to contact either the adviceline on 01905 765373 or West Mercia police on 08457 444888.