Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Thursday, 19 May 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 May 2011. It was answered by Mark Prisk (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 June 2011 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Correspondence: Fraud

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to protect vulnerable individuals from receiving fraudulent mail.

Answer: [holding answer 24 May 2011]: The Government fully appreciates the damage and harm that scams can have on their victims and families and recognises the need for a concerted effort to stop scams, which includes fraudulent mail.The National Fraud Agency (which runs Action Fraud) and the Metropolitan Police are taking forward a strategy that will deal with mass marketing fraud holistically and they are engaging with partners and building a joined-up approach to tackle postal scams. This includes engagement with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Royal Mail who has been working closely with the appropriate bodies to stop scam mail from getting into the postal system in the first place.Government strongly advises people to be very wary of unsolicited offers which sound too good to be true, as they often are. And in those cases where people receive material through the postal system which they believe may promote a fraud, they should draw their concerns to the attention of the appropriate authorities to allow them to take any necessary action. Scams can be easily reported to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or by completing an online fraud report via:"www.actionfraud.org.uk/"For advice on scams, people can contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or visit:"www.direct.gov.uk/scams"

Secondary information