PEOPLE in Warrington are being urged to be vigilant when passing personal details over the internet.

Following a spate of internet scams where people are duped into giving card or bank details by e-mail the Government is raising awareness of a growing internet fraud problem.

One of the most common scams is the 'advance fee fraud' where a sum of money is requested for taxes or processing fees before a prize or goods can be claimed.

Internet users are being advised to follow a few simple precautions, including not accepting unsolicited emails, not giving out any details to unchecked people or companies, not being tempted by special offers and not trusting get-rich-quick schemes.

People receiving suspicious emails should send a copy to their internet service provider with the word 'abuse' at the beginning and the ISP address at the end of the destination address, for example abuse@yahoo.com, or abuse@hotmail.com, depending on the email account provider.

Helen Jones, Warrington North MP, said: "By taking simple precautions people can cut down on the possibility of being stung by e-mail fraud.

"It's surprising how many people have lost huge sums of money by falling for these scams."

For more information on combating internet fraud, visit www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/scams/page1.htm.