THE number of scams using premium rate phone lines is reaching "epidemic" proportions, trading standards officers have warned.

Fraudsters typically target their potential victims through letters, text messages and e-mails.

The ploy is often linked to bogus competitions offering guaranteed 'prizes'.

Consumers are told all they have to do to claim is telephone a given number, which turns out to be a premium rate line charging up to £1.50 a minute.

The Trading Standards Institute believes one way to tackle the problem is to allow customers to bar all premium rate numbers from their phone for free.