Fraud is such a problem on and offline that the government has set up a network of information centres to help guard against the crooks, scammers and fraudsters who hide on the web.

In most cases, these gangs are based overseas beyond the reach of British police and authorities.

To find out more about fraud, or to report a scam or con, here are some official fraud buster web sites:

Action Fraud [LINK: http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/]

The UK’s central fraud information web site for finding out about and reporting any scam.

Identity Fraud [LINK: http://www.identity-theft.org.uk/]

Details of how to protect an identity and what to do if a fraudster is using your name and personal details to commit crime

Consumer Direct [LINK: http://www.oft.gov.uk/consumer-advice/oft-and-cd/]

A government funded service run by the Office of Fair Trading to give advice about consumer issues, including online shopping scams

Card Fraud [LINK: http://www.financialfraudaction.org.uk/?skipintro=1]

Advice and warnings about debit and credit fraud and how to stop bogus transactions on cards.

Online banking cons [LINK: http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/index.html]

Information about online protection from phishing scams

Boiler room scams [LINK: http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Departments/ECD/Fraud/boilerroom.htm]

Extensive information from the City of London Police with links to other official sites about share and investment scams. Police fraud alerts [LINK: http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/]

The latest fraud updates from London’s Metropolitan Police

General anti-fraud advice [LINK: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Typesofcrime/DG_181626]

The DirectGov offers general consumer advice about fraud with plenty of online links and tools to find out more

All these web sites are managed by a government agency and give the latest ways consumers can safeguard their identities and money online.

Remember, the best way to protect against fraud is to use some common sense – if in doubt check out who you are dealing with through one of the web sites above.

If you are a victim of a fraud, report the crime to your local police.