The North-East and North Yorkshire have an unenviable place in the hearts of con artists who net more than £1 billion a year of other people's money nationwide.

Despite the best efforts of Trading Standards officers householders across the region are no strangers to scams that originate from as far away as Nigeria and Canada.

Now, as part of a month-long campaign to protect the public, the Office of Fair Trading has issued a list of the top ten most popular cons most likely to leave consumers out of pocket.

Experts claim the reason many are so successful is because they rely on greed and the temptation to make a quick buck.

Detective Inspector Colin Gibson, head of Durham Police's economic crime unit, said: "A lot of it is thinking you are going to get something for nothing. But in my experience, that doesn't really happen."

Christine Wade, of the OFT, said: "Scammers are resourceful, enterprising and manipulative."

The Top Ten scams are:

:Telephone Lottery-including Canadian lottery and El Gordno Spanish lottery. Last year Safia Rasool, of Middlesbrough, was told she had won the Spanish lottery and asked to reveal her bank details so her winnings could be transferred. Cleveland Police issued an immediate warning. Durham Police and York trading standards also warned people of similar schemes in 2002 operating under the guise of the Canadian lottery.

Prize draw, sweepstakes and foreign lottery mailings: consumers receive notification of a prize in return for a fee. In 2002 Harry Day, 68, of Darlington, went on a spending spree after being told he had won £20,000 in a free prize draw with a London mail order company after he bought some chocolates. He never received the money and was unable to contact the company.

Premium rate telephone number scams-notification by post of a win in a sweepstake or a holiday offer instructing winners to call a premium rate number to claim a prize. North-East trading standards warned of a scam operating in 2003 offering people a free holiday and telling them to call a number charging £20 a minute to claim.

Investment related scams-an unsolicited phone call offering the opportunity to invest in shares, wine, gemstones. Usually goods are worth a lot less than you pay.

Nigerian advance fee frauds-offer to share huge amount of money in return for bank account details to transfer money out of country. People throughout the North-East have been targeted by the con men and in North Yorkshire officials warned it had reached 'epidemic' proportions.

Pyramid schemes-offer a return on financial investment based upon the number of new recruits to the scheme-investors are misled about likely returns as there are not enough people to support the scheme indefinitely. In 2002 people in the North-East were given the chance to earn £40,000 by sending a gift of only £10. Trading officials said it was too good to be true and advised householders to throw letters in the bin.

Matrix schemes-promoted via websites offering high-tech gadgets as free gifts in return for spending £20 on a low-value product. Consumers receive their free gift only after a prescribed number of members join up. Majority never receive the expensive item.

Credit scams-adverts appear in local newspapers offering fast loans regardless of credit history-consumers are told they must pay an insurance fee before the money is released but the loan never appears.

Property investment schemes- schemes involve opportunity to buy properties, which have yet to be built, at a discount and a buy-to-let scheme where companies offer to source, renovate and manage properties, claiming good returns from rent. In March last year Practical Property Portfolio, of Gateshead, was wound up following an investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry after complaints investors had been bought properties in derelict North-East streets, refurbishment was not carried out and tenants failed to materialise.

Work at home and business opportunity scams-work by advertising paid work from home but require money up front for materials. In April 2003 Richard Alderson, of Chester-le-Street, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after advertising for home workers to fill envelopes. More than 16,000 people were fleeced in the fraud which required them to pay £35 to register but there was no work to give them. When people called to complain they got through to a premium rate line charging £1 a minute.