When Pat Briggs got a letter and cheque in the mail saying she'd won $250,000 she wasn't fooled, but worried others might be.

"With the economic times we have right now people are very excited about getting money," she said.

With the help of Valerie MacLean of the BC Crime Prevention Association, CTV decided to try to get the scam artists on the phone by calling the Ontario cell phone number in the letter sent to Briggs.

MacLean went to work posing as a willing dupe, saying she had won the $250,000 in the Queens Swiss Lottery.

On their end of the line, the con artists go to work to win her trust. First, a woman calling herself Laura confirms her prize.

"Congratulations madam, you have won $250,000 from the Queen Elizabeth Lottery," the caller said.

But the documents didn't say the Queen Elizabeth lottery. The crooks can't keep the scam straight -- but they do want the money.

MacLean questioned why she had to send $1395.95 to the insurance company dispersing her winnings.

"That's actually the non-British resident's fee you have to pay," Laura told her. "It's like a tax since you are a non-British resident and don't live in England,"

The response is a sure sign of a scam. Then they asked for more personal information

"You have to send your name your address, your account number and your bank name and address, "instructs another man calling himself Peter Wilson.

When MacLean asks about scams and counterfeit cheques "Peter" had these re-assuring words:

"I know I know, I understand. That is why you see we put the website because there are a lot of people who try to defraud people. So a lot of this is happening all over North America. So you have to be careful," he advises.

Then it was time to turn the tables on the crooks. I get on the phone and confront them with the fact the advance check sent to Pat Briggs is actually stolen.

"I don't know why you are saying it's a stolen cheque. I'm just an agent to help her to receive her claim," the man told CTV News.

When pressured, con men always claim they are an innocent party. But Olsen took a hard line.

"You've been at this scam game for a while right? I mean this isn't your first day on the job is it?" he asked.

Peter, now defensive, replies.

"Listen to me -- you don't have to talk to me like this. I don't know, okay? What is your problem about the fraud?"

In Canada, it is estimated 8,000 people will be victimized this year alone. Valerie MacLean believes the real number is ten times that.

One caution: if you get one of these letters do not call the con man yourself. They already you're your address and call display may give them your phone number. You don't want these people to have any further information about you.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen