Scams
Every day, people throughout the UK are falling victim to scams of one kind or another. It could be an unexpected prize draw or lottery win, or a chance to invest in an exciting new money-making or investment programme. But remember - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Further information
Read Scambuster - your guide to beating the scammers (OFT831)
Download the OFT leaflet How to recognise a scam (OFT764) or Don't let them con you (OFT973)
Download the OFT Guide for carers and care professionals (OFT972)
If you would like free copies of these leaflets by post, phone the Office of Fair Trading's mailing house on 0800 389 3158 or email oft@ecgroup.co.uk quoting the OFT numbers above. The telephone number is free of charge if your network provider is BT. Other network costs may vary.
Interactive scam guides
These interactive flash files give examples of the tricks used by scammers when they send scam letters through the post.
When you hover over the text, pop up boxes will show the techniques used to make the letters seem believable. If you click the warning sign at the top of the page, you can see where all of the pop up boxes are located.
To see these examples you will need to have flash installed on your computer. If you do not have flash, you can download the software for free from the Adobe website.
If you prefer not to use flash, use the following links to open text only versions in pdf format.
Clairvoyant scam mailing (385 k flash file opens in new window) Lottery scam mailing (417 k flash file opens in new window) 419/Advance fee fraud (flash file opens in new window) Open racing tipster leaflet (flash file opens in new window) Slimming scam mailing (flash file opens in new window) Prize draw scam mailing (446 k flash file opens in new window)