AN OAP has warned the elderly to beware of scam letters claiming they have won the Spanish lottery.

Dorothy Boardman, 71, was shocked when a letter purporting to be from 'Euro Millones' dropped through the letter box of her home in Castner Avenue, Weston Point, Runcorn.

The letter signed by Jose Miguel Perez, told Mrs Boardman she had won 915,810 Euros after her lucky numbers 36, 43, 18, 24, 46 and 29 came up.

There was just one catch. Mrs Boardman had never even visited Spain, let alone bought a lottery ticket.

Senor Miguel asked Mrs Boardman to supply her bank details so that the prize - amounting to more than £500,000 - could be deposited in her account.

Mrs Boardman immediately took the letter to the Runcorn branch of charity Age Concern where she was told it was a scam designed to steal bank details from vulnerable elderly people.

Now she has warned other pensioners to be on their guard.

'It is a disgrace that people are doing this sort of thing,' she said.

'I am lucky because I have all my wits about me but other people could be taken in by this,' she said.

'It is a despicable thing to do to someone. 'I have never bought a Spanish lottery ticket so I knew it was a con but other people could become confused and mix it up with the Euro Millions.

'There was a telephone number on the ticket and I was told by Age Concern that this would have cost me £5-a-minute if I had bothered to ring it up.'

The letter claims Mrs Boardman's name was selected from a worldwide computer ballot of 25,000 names.

It says: 'Your prize money is now deposited with a security company insured in your name alone. Due to a mixed (sic) up of some numbers and names, we ask you to keep your prize tracking number very confidential until your claim has been processed and your won (sic) fund remitted to your nominated back account.'