Written question asked by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Friday, 17 September 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 11 October 2004. It was answered by Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour) on Monday, 11 October 2004 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are being taken to ensure that vulnerable people do not become victims of postal scams.

Answer: Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to ensure that vulnerable people do not become victims of postal scams. [189955] Mr. Sutcliffe: DTI and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) are working to raise consumer awareness of postal scams. Most postal scams operate from outside the UK. The OFT works with the network of enforcement agencies called ICPEN (International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network) to investigate and take action against cross-border scams. The OFT have taken a lead within Europe in taking action against scam mail under the powers provided by the Injunctions Directive and the Enterprise Act 2002 ('Stop Now Orders').

Secondary information