Don't trust anyone. That would seem to be good advice after the experience of a single mother-of-three from Oxford.

She tells a depressing story of how she fell under the spell of a conman, who duped her out of a staggering £56,000.

The man overheard her talking in a shop about her plans to invest the payout from her divorce settlement.

He convinced her with his sweet talk that he was a financial expert and would help her get the best return, wooing her with expensive meals and tickets to the ballet.

Then the inevitable happened — he disappeared with every penny.

The distraught victim has now spoken about her ordeal, to warn others not to be taken in.

A private investigator has had no luck in tracking down this fraudster, and the police have now been called in to look for him, but by now, the trail may have gone cold.

Of course, it is always easy to be wise after the event.

But if anyone else is approached by a man overhearing a conversation in a shop, pub or anywhere else, beware.

Be suspicious of everyone is a good motto — check them out carefully, even if they seem totally plausible.