Victims are told they have won 'the big prize', but no winnings exist

Sergeant Barry Elliot will assist Trading Standards officers in tackling the 'Canadian National Lottery' con.

Community organisations have also been invited to a talk by Mr Elliott on how to deal with deceptive telemarketing.

Thousands of UK residents have already fallen victim of fraudulent schemes which promise winnings in return for administration or release fees.

No prize exists

Sergeant Elliot's talk will focus on false charities, lottery draws and pyramid schemes. He will also discuss PhoneBusters - a police scheme set up to target deceptive telemarketing scams.

The Canadian lottery scam starts when victims are told they have won the 'big prize', but before they can claim it, they are told to send money to pay for taxes and processing fees.

They never receive any winnings in return for their cash.