If you are in any doubt about an offer you've received you should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 before responding to the offer. Consumer Direct will be able to give you sound and practical advice; and if you have been targeted by scammers indeed they may be able to prevent others fall victim to the scam.

Replying to just one scam letter can result in your personal details being added to a so-called 'suckers list'. This list will be sold amongs con men and you may end up receiving tens of scam mailings and telephone calls a day.

Some other tips

The following tips can also help avoid becoming the victim of a junk mail scam if you have received an unsolicited offer and you are not a hundred per cent sure about it:

Protect your personal information

Give as little information as possible and never give your bank or credit card details to a company or person you don't know or trust.

Know who you're dealing with

Check the company's name, street address and telephone number. If they can't provide these or if they only have a PO Box number, don’t do business with them – you won’t be able to contact them after you've parted with your money. A telephone number alone is not enough, as they could simply not answer your call or put you on hold forever.

Take your time

Don't make immediate decisions if you have any doubts about an offer or the person or company you're dealing with. Calls to 'act now' are designed to fool you into making irrational decisions.

Read the small print

Reading small print is nobody's favourite pasttime, but it will help making an informed decision. If anything in the small print is unclear, ask for clarification, preferably in writing.

Never pay for a 'free' gift

Disregard any offer that asks you to pay for a gift or prize. If it's free or a gift, you shouldn't have to pay for it - free means free.