POLICE in the Vale would like to hear from anyone who has been sent a letter from a Singapore bank in Hong Kong, which they believe is a scam to cheat people out of their money.

South Worcestershire police are warning members of the public to "beware" and not to respond to any letters from the supposed bank, in which personal information is asked for.

The letters imply that the recipient is the beneficiary of a substantial amount of money, which has lain dormant in an investment account at the bank for 25 years.

Police spokesman Mike Vockins said: "This appears to be a scam and we would urge members of the community not to respond.

"The intention of the letters almost certainly is to obtain personal information about the recipients of the letters and about their bank accounts.

"Rather than being a recipient of monies, those who respond may well find their bank accounts are tapped into and that substantial funds are withdrawn without permission. Our strong advice is, beware"

At least two residents in Worcestershire have received such letters from a man calling himself Sun Yong Lee, who says he is 'the head of the internal audit department' for the bank.

The letters are easily recognisable as they are written on plain white paper, do not carry an official letter heading or company logo and the only telephone number is contained within the text of the letter. The recipient is also asked to keep the contents of the letter private.

Anyone who has received a similar letter should contact PC Andy Court on 08457 444 888.