Newbury Sound spoke to Lisa Brown from West Berkshire Trading Standards to find out more about how to beat the scammers associated with Letters predicting the future as part of Scamnesty Month.

To listen to the report, click play.

What it is:

These are one of the most common direct mail scams. Letters from so-called psychics or clairvoyants promise to make predictions that will change the course of your life forever - for a small fee. Sometimes these mailings are aggressive in tone, saying something bad will happen to you if you do not send them money.

If you send money, you are likely to be bombarded with further scams, because your name will be added to the "sucker" list.

Most likely approach:

Letter

How to protect yourself:

Stop junk mail by registering with the Mail Preference Service, so that you can spot scams more easily. Don't be intimidated into replying.

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, or suspect a scam, call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or visit the Consumer Direct website by clicking here.