Bogus e-mail hits scams watchdog

Spam e-mails can be used to try to gather people's bank details

A bogus e-mail offering recipients a cash grant is using the name of the authorities which tackle scams.

The message suggests that Trading Standards Central UK is giving out £1m in total a year in donations to 100 international recipients.

But the genuine Trading Standards Central, a one-stop shop website for consumer protection advice, has no connection with the e-mail.

Officers described the use of the name as "galling".

Circular

The e-mail gives a series of serial, batch, reference and ticket numbers to claim the "prize".

The genuine Trading Standards Central is run by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI).

"It is particularly galling to find that they are prepared to take in vain the name of an organisation which works to protect consumers and businesses from scams and unfair practice," said TSI chief executive Ron Gainsford.

He added that they would be working with the police and the Office of Fair Trading to trace the source of the circular.

Other bogus e-mails have been used by fraudsters to gather bank details of recipients, or to encourage them to call premium-rate telephone lines.