National fraud investigation chiefs have issued a warning across Cumbria about a scam in which criminals target people who are expecting to pay for a property repair.

A spokesman for ActionFraud, the National Cyber Crime and Fraud Reporting Centre, said that the scammers claim to be a tradesman who have recently completed work at the victim's property.

They then use a similar email address to that of the genuine tradesman.

“They will ask for funds to be transferred via bank transfer,” said the spokesman. “Once payment is made the victims of the scam soon realise they have been deceived when the genuine tradesman requests payment for their services.”

Experts give the following advice to help people to avoid being caught out:

* Always check the email address is exactly the same as previous correspondence with the genuine contact.

* For any request of payment via email verify the validity of the request with a phone call to the person who carried out the work.

* Check the email for spelling and grammar as these signs can indicate that the email is not genuine.

* Payments via bank transfer offer no financial protection; consider using alternative methods such as a credit card or PayPal which offer protection and an avenue for recompense.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.