BEXLEY pensioner John Flunder was chosen by the Met Police to help front its campaign against postal scams.

Mr Flunder, 80, editor of Bexley Pensioners’ Forum’s magazine, joined Detective Chief Inspector Nick Downing from the Met’s economic and specialist crime command and neighbourhood police from Bexley, to publicise Operation Sterling.

Scams delivered daily through people’s letterboxes cost the country £3.5 biillion a year, according to the Met.

Pensioners are particularly vulnerable and are frequently conned into handing over their life savings worth thousands of pounds.

Operation Sterling officers joined Brampton ward Safer Neighbourhoods policing team on their Visit a Street a Week initiative, knocking on doors to warn residents about postal scams.

The ward has a high proportion of elderly residents and the visit was to mark International Mass Marketing Fraud Awareness Day.

Mr Flunder said: “The nature of these frauds is really quite sad.

“People get taken in because the scammers can be so persuasive and persistent and our generation tends to be quite trusting.”

DCI Downing said: “This crime causes misery to victims and their families.

“Our advice is to never take anything at face value.

“These fraudsters make a living out of deceiving people and they will stop at nothing.”

He said by working with people who are targeted and educating them on the sort of scams to look out for, the Met hoped it would help to make mass marketing fraud a thing of the past.

Operation Sterling officers are also working with the Think Jessica organisation which provides advice to chronic victims of postal scams.

OPERATION Sterling offers the following advice to people: If you receive the offer of a prizes in the post or by email which looks too good to be true, it probably is; Don’t be drawn in by letters from people claiming to be clairvoyants or fortunetellers which is a well-tried method of getting people to part with their cash; Never send money to a stranger either via the post or through a bank transfer.

Other types of scams include fake lotteries and romances, share frauds and inheritance scams.

If you suspect you may have been a victim of mass marketing fraud, call the action fraud helpline on 0300 123 2040.