Warning over scam Standard Life e-mail

E-mails allegedly sent by "Stewart Barculo, a member of staff of Standard Life Bank Limited, 30 Lothian Road" have been dropping into inboxes around the world.

The latest e-mail, picked up on December 7, claims to offer the recipient a share of $50 million supposedly invested by a deceased customer with no identifiable next of kin.

It reads: "You share the same surname with our late client. I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 50/50.

"I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit."

A spokesman for Standard Life warned recipients not to respond to the scam.

He said: "Standard Life will never send e-mails to customers asking for security details."