DOZENS of people risked being sucked into a 'scam' that could have left them out of pocket, said local councils who set up a bogus scheme to snare them.

Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset councils placed a fake get-rich-quick advert in newspapers for two weeks, and were amazed as the responses started to roll in - with no complaints about the 'scam'.

"We designed an advert which made totally unrealistic claims about income potential for just a few hours work a day," said Bournemouth council's principal trading standards officer, Andy Sherriff. "We thought that modern consumers would easily spot this as a rip-off, so we were astounded to receive dozens of responses."

The advert invited people to send for an information pack which would tell them how to earn more than £80,000 a year for little work.

"The typical scam nets £50 from each respondent," said Mr Sherriff. "Our evidence shows that fraudsters could walk away with thousands of pounds per month without even trying.

"It's fraudulent activity on a massive scale, but because of the individual sums involved, many consumers simply write it off as bad luck. We'd much rather they let us know so we can investigate the people behind these schemes."

The councils embarked on the 'scam' to highlight national con-sumer week, starting on Monday.

Mr Sherriff said the councils have written to the people who fell for their scheme explaining the dangers of scams.

"Our message to consumers is that the only ones to profit are the criminals who run these schemes," he said.

"Think twice, ask Trading Standards' advice, and spot the scams before you lose your cash."

Anyone who is concerned they have been conned, or thinks they have spotted a scam, should contact the DTI-sponsored Consumer Direct hotline, 08454 04 05 06.

First published: October 15