Anti-fraud officers have issued a renewed warning about cash scams trying to rip off Bermuda residents.

As it emerged that more and more residents were being targeted by fraudsters, Police again stressed the dangers of revealing personal bank details without first confirming the identity of who wants the information.

Lottery award cons are still doing the rounds, officers confirmed, with people told they have won a substantial sum of money before being asked to hand over private financial information.

And another common fraud targets web-based property sale sites, like E-Moo. Detective Sergeant David Geraghty, of the Bermuda Police Service Fraud Unit, said alarm bells should ring when someone living abroad offers to buy something in Bermuda which is available in their country. ?What often happens is that the person wishing to purchase the item will send you a bank cheque for over-and-above the asking price,? he explained.

?When you receive the cheque and place it into your bank account, they will ask you to immediately send them the merchandise which you had for sale, as well as the extra money which they supposedly sent to you in error.

?Only after you have parted with the merchandise and your money, you will find that the cheque they sent to you is a forgery and you will lose out.?

Det. Sgt. Geraghty said there had been a recent increase in the number of Bermuda residents contacted by ?various schemes intended to obtain personal information?. Urging people not to be duped by the lottery scams, he said the ?draw? often took place in a foreign country with random ?winners? chosen.

Det. Sgt. Geraghty added: ?These scams are intended purely to obtain your banking details, steal your identity or to have you send money to jurisdictions where you will never see it again.

?People in Bermuda continue to lose money to these types of scams on a regular basis. A general rule of thumb is, if you did not enter the lottery in the first place, there is a very good chance that you have not won it.?

He also warned people about e-mails from people claiming to be from banks or other financial institutions. The e-mails often ask you for personal banking information for security purposes or for other ?spurious reasons?, he added. To report suspicious activity, call the Police Fraud Unit on 299-4330.