Following on from the Panorama programme about scam mail, Action Fraud is warning everyone to watch out for fraudsters who contact them by post or email.
Scam mail is when you receive an uninvited contact by email, letter or adverts, making false promises to con you out of money. Scam mail can also be known as mass marketing fraud.
Scam mail fraudsters try to lure victims with false promises of large cash prizes, goods or services in exchange for upfront fees, or what they call taxes or donations.
Mass marketing scams are also known as consumer frauds. They could involve:
- someone pretending to sell something they don’t have. The fraudster takes your money without giving anything in return for it
- a fraudster supplying goods or services which are of a lower quality than those paid for, or failing to supply the goods and service bought altogether
- someone trying to persuade you to buy something you don’t really want using oppressive marketing or sales techniques.
Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you receive uninvited mail like this, it is likely to be scam mail and you should ignore it. If you think you have lost money after responding to some scam mail, report it to Action Fraud.
Watch the Panorama programme ‘Why hate junk mail? On BBC iPlayer.
Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.
To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
