A TELEPHONE fraud is currently doing the rounds in Kent which could leave people with a bill of over £200.

BT have been advising their customers to simply hang up if they receive a recorded message congratulating them on winning an all expenses paid trip to an exotic location.

The reader of a KM Group newspaper, the Sheerness Times Guardian, who did not wish to be named, said she knew of friends and family who had received the phone calls, but luckily had hung up before they were charged.

Once you have received the call you will be asked to press nine to hear further details. If you press nine you will be connected to a premium rate line that costs approximately £20 per minute.

Even if you disconnect immediately, it will remain connected for a minimum of five minutes, costing around £100.

The final part of the call involves you being asked to key in your postcode and house number, which has other serious consequences. After a further two minutes you will receive a message informing you that you are not one of the lucky winners. The total bill will be £260.

But since the calls are coming from outside the UK, BT and other telephone companies are powerless to act. The only safe solution is to hang up promptly.