UK is scam haven, says Office of Fair Trading

Internet sites offering 'too good to be true' deals are alive and well, and happily doing business in Britain, according to the latest report from the Office of Fair Trading.

An international sweep for scam websites turned up 176 dodgy sites in the UK, breaking more than 200 laws between them, and more than 1800 sites worldwide.

Among the shady operators that the OFT uncovered were one get-rich-quick site promising users that they could make nearly £200,000 in one day and one home working scheme that offered "business opportunities" to make £2,500 a month - but remained strangely silent on exactly what anyone signing up had to do to rake in the cash.

The 176 shady traders were made up of 90 working-from-home schemes, 20 lottery fakes, 15 iffy free-prize offers and four websites stumping up qualifications on demand.

Those responsible for the bent sites will be pursued and brought to justice by either the OFT or relevant trading standards people.

Among the scammers' collective bag of tricks designed to squeeze a few pounds out of the unsuspecting were being liberal with the truth on earning potential and hitting consumers with 'joining' fees. One scam claimed that lucky winners would be able to get their hands on luxury accommodation for £3 a night. However, to get their discount hotels, they first had to pay £49.95 to register with a directory company that gave out discount vouchers.

The OFT said, surprisingly, that consumers should beware of anything offering unbelievable results, and should have a good look at all the terms and conditions of any give-aways or schemes.

Christine Wade, director of consumer regulation, said the international nature of the internet made it a prime hunting ground for scammers.

"The internet is used by fraudsters who seek to take advantage of international boundaries to avoid detection. Cross-border cooperation is therefore important for combating this area of consumer detriment," she said in a statement.