If you've received a letter from the US Internal Revenue Service asking for personal information, do NOT respond to it - just throw it away!

That advice is from the Office of Fair Trading, which says the IRS has been contacted and confirmed the letters haven't come from them.

The letters say a tax amnesty currently in place for those with offshore assets will expire next month and at that time not only will tax be payable but the person concerned may be liable to prosecution.

The OFT says as with all such scams you must under no circumstances give away personal details, or indeed reply to the correspondence in any way.

If you have done, contact your bank immediately.

If you lose money as a result of responding call the police.