POLICE in Weymouth today warned residents to be on their guard against email scams.

Officers said the fraudsters appeal to people's greed in order to try and obtain their personal details.

PC Lee Burton of Weymouth police has received reports of various email scams, many of which originate from Africa.

He said: "Some of them claim the recipient has won an amount of money, but they are required to part with cash or their bank details in order to pay charges. Others seek the assistance of people to transfer huge sums of money into bank accounts in return for a percentage of the money."

PC Burton added: "I would urge people to be cautious and to realise that if an offer seems too good to be true then it usually is.

"These scams appeal to people's greed or touch heartstrings in order to obtain personal information. It is usually the most vulnerable who fall for these tricks."

PC Burton urges people to check out the Home Office website for advice: www.identitytheft.org.uk To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive visit: www.mpsonline.org.uk