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A campaign to stop consumers being ripped off by postal scams, such as bogus prize draws and competitions, was launched by Consumer Minister Melanie Johnson.
Miss Johnson said:
"Every day thousands of us receive letters telling us we are the 'lucky winners' of a prize draw or competition. We are told we should send off money or make a purchase to receive a prize but the chances of ever seeing that money again, let alone the promised reward, are remote."
The Government estimates that up to £100 million a year could be lost by people who respond to these bogus promotions.
The DTI campaign aims to:
- raise awareness of the problem,
- help the public recognise the obvious warning signs, and
- avoid becoming a victim of a scam.
The campaign encourages consumers to join the fight against the scam operators by sending suspected scams to the Office of Fair Trading to investigate.
Melanie Johnson said:
"Postal scams can be very convincing and too many people are falling for their empty promises. Bogus prize draws and competitions and other similar promotions offer unexpected rewards, but simply deliver a hole in the pocket.
The Government is taking action against these scam operators. Stop Now Orders enable us to take court action to stop these rogue traders in their tracks. But new scams are always emerging. We all need to be a lot more cynical about these so- called prize draws. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is."
Anyone considering a scheme that appears to offer unexpected prizes, financial benefits or goods and services should ask themselves:
- Do I know exactly what I am being asked to pay for?
- Can I afford to lose the money I am being asked to pay?
- Does it look too good to be true?
Melanie Johnson said:
"If in doubt, there's only one thing to do: throw the scam away. Don't even give it a second glance."
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