OXFORDSHIRE treasure Pam Ayres has made a poem out of real scam emails and fake telephone calls.

The poet turned crimes into rhymes to help people spot the signs of investment scams – where a con artist offers a convincing but fake opportunity to make a profit by handing over money.

A new study of 2,000 adults commissioned by Santander concluded that only four in 10 Brits knew what an investment scam was – but a quarter have been affected or know somebody who has been conned.

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Ms Ayres, who grew up in Stanford in the Vale near Wantage, wrote a poem entitled Have You Got Some Money? using words from real scammers in unsolicited phone calls, online adverts and emails.

Here is part of the poem:

Have you got some money? Are you getting on, like me?

Are you heading for retirement? Being wild and free?

Are you looking for investments? Somewhere canny for your cash?

Be careful.  There are fraudsters who will steal it in a flash.

They are thieving people’s savings, taking everything they’ve got.

Especially the older folk who’ve got a pension pot,

They do not stalk the foolish, no, that isn’t what they do,

They target able, well-researched investors. Just like you.

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She said: “Fraudsters target and dupe their victims with their clever use of language – professional, confident and reassuring communications that draw you in and make you feel in control.

"Sadly, the reality is far from it."