A CHAIN letter fraudster who has attempted to dupe thousands of Suffolk people picked the wrong target with one of his mail shots.Former Suffolk County Council chief executive Clifford Smith was one of the recipients and was less than impressed the promises of instant riches.

A CHAIN letter fraudster who has attempted to dupe thousands of Suffolk people picked the wrong target with one of his mail shots.

Former Suffolk County Council chief executive Clifford Smith was one of the recipients and was less than impressed the promises of instant riches.

The 70-year-old, who was responsible for the trading standards department among others during his 19-year reign, passed the letter on to his old colleagues.

The scam, operated under the name of David Rhodes, of Norfolk, has been running for many years now.

It offers the incentive of £94,000 to those who take part and says the cash sum will arrive on their doorstep as long as two per cent of people take part. This is on the condition that they forward on the letter and photocopy it 200 times.

The trickster also outlines how the process has made him rich and lists his extravagances, including a luxury house in Norfolk.

Today Mr Smith, of Rushmere St Andrew, urged people not to be taken in by the promises of easy money.

"I'm more angry and concerned that some gullible people will fall for it, he said.

"My first reaction was to put it straight in the bin but then I decided to do some calculations about the guarantees. I found that the entire population of the world would have to be involved before I got anything."

A spokeswoman for county's trading standards said they well aware of the letters but urged people to bin them.

A public appeal for Mr Rhodes to come forward and identify himself, made earlier this year, has so far proved fruitless.