A RETIREE is warning others about a postal scam after taking on a con man claiming to be a Chinese businessman.

When Roger Clarke received a letter from someone claiming to be a Hong Kong banker offering him a share of a US$10 million fortune he thought it was too good to be true.

Mr Clarke, 64, who lives in Betchworth, saw through the ploy but strung the fraudster along in the hope of exposing the con and gaining evidence for the police.

He said: "I knew it was a con but I tried to keep him thinking otherwise until I could tell the police. I want to catch these crooks before anyone else gets done out of their savings."

In the letter the con man claimed to be a banker from Hong Kong who had discovered an account in the name of a dead man who shared a surname with Mr Clarke.

He then promised to split the $10 million fortune with Mr Clarke if he pretended to be a relative of the man, requiring him to hand over sensitive personal details.

Mr Clarke not only thought the unbelievable offer to be suspect, he also suspects the scam did not originate in China.

He said: "The postal stamp on the letter is from Watford and when I spoke to the guy on the phone you could tell it was someone putting on a Chinese accent."

Mr Clarke also thought the wording of the emails sounded like a poor stereotype of a Chinese accent.

One passage read: "Thanking you for you messaging which I am receive. I very glad that we are go to be do this together. Please at all the time I want you to believe and know that this is a very serious issue that will uplift our life for better."

A scam using the names of the same Hong Kong banks cited in the letter to Mr Clarke was reported in Barnsley in March this year, with South Yorkshire police issuing a warning on their website. Mr Clarke is worried the Mole Valley area may be a new target for the con men after his neighbour received the same letter just days after his.

He said: "People need to be warned about this, especially older people. They always seem to target pensioners because they think it's easier to confuse them."

Mr Clarke has handed the letter and the subsequent e-mail correspondence to police.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: "Surrey Police would urge members of the public to be on their guard against potential e-mail scams claiming that they are in line for cash windfalls.

"They may seem attractive but if it sounds too good to be true then it most likely is. Anyone who is contacted out of the blue and asked for money or their personal details should always refuse and report it to the authorities."