Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

The top five ways we get caught.
The Office of Fair Trading has announced the results of a nationwide 'Scamnesty' campaign which reveals for the first time the scale of mass-marketed scam mailings targeting UK residents.

Every year three million people in the UK lose money to mass marketed scams they receive by mail, email, text or over the phone which are designed to con victims out of their cash. The 'Scamnesty' campaign, held earlier in the year, called on the public to fight back by collecting any scam mailings they had received and dropping them into designated 'Scamnesty' bins at local libraries and other public areas across the country.

Residents in nearly 50 local authorities dropped more than 15,000 scam mailings in bins across the country. Derbyshire, Edinburgh, Brighton and Hove, Hampshire and Norfolk all reported at least 1,000 separate scam mailings.

The campaign revealed that the top five scam mailings in the UK are:

1. deceptive sweepstakes

2. misleading prize draws

3. fake clairvoyants/psychics

4. bogus foreign lotteries

5. 'miracle' health cures

The scam mailings have provided vital intelligence to the OFT and local authority Trading Standards Services and have helped inform future investigations which will prevent others from being caught.

Mike Haley, OFT Director of Consumer Protection, said: 'The huge range of mailings uncovered by the campaign illustrate that there really is a scam for everyone. This campaign has provided crucial intelligence, helping us to stop scams bringing misery to millions of people every year.'

If you think you have been the victim of a scam, or you suspect a mailing, call Consumer Direct for advice on 08454 04 05 06 or visit the Consumer Direct website. Consumers can also report scams online on the Report a Scam page of the Consumer Direct website.