FRAUDSTERS conned thousands of pounds from Canvey islanders by running a fake lottery scam.

Police were contacted after Canvey FC became aware of men collecting £8 per month, pretending it was for a club lottery.

But no such lottery exists and now angry club officials believe the con artists could have pocketed thousands of pounds in a deception lasting as long as five years.

Club director Mick O’Brien was alerted after receiving a phone call from a woman who was concerned she had received two requests for money within a month.

Mr O’Brien said: “We didn’t know what she was talking about and to my knowledge we haven’t collected money for at least five years.

“Since then I have been inundated with people calling me, or stopping me in the street saying they have been paying.”

It is believed the criminals have been distributing copies of leaflets relating to the lottery formerly run by the club, including out-of-date contact details and the names of sponsoring companies, which no longer trade.

Mr O’Brien said: “It is tarnishing the club’s name when we are having a big push to be a community facility. It is just not fair.

“Even the companies on the leaflet are being seen as complicit.

“The club is absolutely devastated and for someone to do this in our name is a disgrace.

“The people who have contacted us seem to be older people who have stayed loyal to the club, so for these scammers to do this is despicable.”

Steven Cole, councillor for CanveyWinter Gardens, added: “It is unbelievable. We could be talking about tens of thousands of pounds.

“It is awful and we don’t know if they have been pretending to collect for other clubs too.

“I would ask anyone who is visited by collectors to contact Helen Collins at Castle Point Council, who can investigate if they are legitimate.”

Anyone who has information about the fraud, is being asked to call Action Fraud on 0300 1232040.

A WIDOW in her eighties, whose husband was a lifelong Gulls fan, is among the victims of the conmen.

Canvey Island FC director Mick O’Brien believes elderly and vulnerable residents have been the main targets of the fraud.

He said: “A lady in her eighties stopped me and said her husband died about seven years ago and she had been putting money in every month since, because he loved the club so much. She did this even though she couldn’t really afford it.

“I was just flabbergasted.” 

Another woman, who was a victim of the fraud, said: “A man called every month for £8 for the football club.

“I did originally sign up for the legitimate one.

“I was getting a flyer with adverts on and supposedly monthly winners, which I never read.

“Now I notice they were obviously recycled as the adverts included one for the Silver Jubilee pub, which no longer exists.

“He seemed like a nice bloke, but I don’t know how many people were doing this.”