9 February 2006

Consumers are now able to judge whether they can stay clear of marketing scams by testing their knowledge with an online quiz.

The web-based test has been launched as part of the Office for Fair Trading's (OFT) month-long campaign to stop consumers being conned out of large amounts of money.

The subject matter of the questions range from scratch cards found in newspapers, fake emails from banks asking for personal details to phone calls saying you've won a "dream holiday".

According to the OFT, UK consumers lose an estimated £1 billion per year to marketing scams, such as bogus "psychic" emails, premium-rate prize promotions and advance fee frauds.

"Scams damage individuals and undermine confidence in legitimate marketing techniques, harming fair-dealing businesses," explains John Fingleton, the chief executive of the OFT.

"Consumers who lose money to scams have very little chance of getting any of it back.

"So it is essential that, in addition to enforcing the law against scammers, we equip consumers with the skills and knowledge necessary to avoid falling victim to them in the first place," he added.

This message will also be promoted with online and radio advertising, scam-spotting leaflets and competitions.

© Adfero Ltd

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