Telephone fraudsters are being foiled in their attempts to con people out of hundreds of pounds.

Gazette readers are heeding the warnings of the scam, which tempts people by saying they have won a holiday.

People get calls to landlines and mobiles, where a recorded message claims they have won a holiday, and to press nine for further details.

But if they do, the call starts costing them £20 a minute and they can run up a bill of hundreds of pounds. The recorded message then asks people to enter a postcode and house number, when they learn they have not won.

Pensioner Lilian Grout, of West Mersea, was called at 12.03am yesterday, telling her she had won a holiday.

But she knew of the scam after reading about it in the Evening Gazette and from the Neighbourhood Watch group.

Mrs Grout said: "These calls are still going on. Some people are getting phone bills for £300 or £400 after pressing button nine."

Anyone getting a call is advised to hang up straight away.

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Published Wednesday, December 22, 2004

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