The Office of Fair Trading has issued lottery scam warnings

The pensioner, a widower from north Powys, lost her life savings to fraudsters posing as lottery officials in Spain and Canada.

The woman made six payments to the two scam lotteries over about a month, said trading standards officials.

They are warning people, particularly the vulnerable, to be on their guard.

People in the UK have lost thousands of pounds to the fraudulent Canadian and Spanish lotteries which promise winnings in return for administration or release fees.

Both scams which targeted the Powys pensioner are operated by fraudsters in Spain and Canada, said the county's trading standards.

They were very polite, you couldn't fault their manners. Eventually I became suspicious and phoned them to get my money back, but they just put the phone down Lottery victim

In the Spanish case, they forged the country's official El Gordo lottery to obtain her money.

Ken Yorston, Powys assistant trading standards manager, said the pensioner was told she had won more than 600,000 euros (about �412,000).

Although it was earlier believed she had lost �15,000, the actual sum is now understood to be �11,000.

The pensioner, who did not want to be named, said the money would have been used to help a relation who was unwell.

"I didn't realise this sort of thing existed. I don't get a daily newspaper and have no way of knowing that people try to deliberately deceive people." she said.

"I can't believe I've been so gullible to fall for it twice, but I thought if one lottery fell through at least I would have the other one."

The woman said the fraudsters firstly sent a letter saying she had won money and then phoned her.

"They were very polite, you couldn't fault their manners. Eventually I became suspicious and phoned them to get my money back, but they just put the phone down."

The pensioner had run a business in a north Powys town with her husband until his death in 1998. She said other family members lived in the south of England.

'Very suspicious'

"I didn't want to contact my family because I wanted the winnings to be a nice surprise," she said.

Mr Yorston of Powys trading standards said Spanish police and the Office of Fair Trading had asked for details about how the victim had been deceived.

"These scams are sadly common, but people should be very suspicious of anything they receive in the post that says they've won money,"

"If people have any concerns they should contact trading standards for advice."

Mr Yorston said the victim's name had probably been passed from one scam to another.