The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has warned consumers they should be more aware of scams using email, text messaging and fax.

An estimated 45 per cent of UK households have internet access and two-thirds of the population has mobile phones.

The concern is unscrupulous companies are using bogus prize draws and special offers to take advantage of these technologies.

Millions of promotional text messages are being sent every week but users can do very little to avoid getting them.

In one example, mobile phone users received the text message "I fancy you"

and were then invited to call a premium rate number, without the call charges being made clear.

In another, hotel and restaurant owners were asked to fax copies of their brochures and menus to a potential client. The fax was on a premium rate number.

Text messaging is particularly popular among children, which raises further concerns.

Consumer minister Melanie Johnson said:

"Every day, people open their mail, turn on their computers or switch on their mobile phones to learn that they've won an exciting prize in a draw, lottery or some other promotion.

All too often, those people taken in by scams make the mistake of being too trusting and lose money as a result.

"We have warned the public about the danger of postal scams, such as bogus prize draws and competitions. But people also need to bear the same warnings in mind if they use mobile phones, fax machines and email."

Premium rate phone services usually begin with the numbers 090, while premium rate text messages often use a four or five digit short code number.

The e-commerce directive, implemented in the UK in August, requires unsolicited commercial email, or spam, to be clearly identified.

The rip-off tip-off site, developed by Trading Standards in a project funded by the DTI, includes tips for consumers on avoiding being scammed and allows consumers and traders to report suspected rogues online.

www.dti.gov.uk
www.icstis.org.uk
www.ripofftipoff.net