Email scammers face Euro crackdown

Email scammers will be left with "nowhere to hide" following moves to tighten up European consumer protection, according to the government.

The Consumer Protection Co-operation (CPC) regulation, which comes into force this month, will help tackle rogue traders who prey on consumers across European borders by establishing a network of national enforcement bodies with powers to work together across the EU.

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Previously, wide differences in the structures and methods of enforcement authorities have hampered prosecutions but the new regulations require enforcement bodies to help each other by exchanging information and co-operating on cross-border cases.

The UK's co-ordinating enforcement body will be the Office of Fair Trading.

The new measures will tackle cross-border scams including email scams and illegal prize draws; misleading advertising and pressure selling; phone scams based in other EU countries; and timeshare and holiday club rogue traders.

Consumer minister Ian McCartney said in a statement: "Joined-up enforcement across the EU will help to stamp out scams and leave the sharks with nowhere to hide."