The Foreign Office has issued a warning over a scam email, claiming to be from Foreign Secretary David Miliband, offering money to people in trouble due to the global economic slowdown.
The email, with the subject header "global economic crisis relief aid," asks recipients for their bank details so that they can receive money from a fictitious "recession relief programme fund."
"This email is a scam .. We suggest that you never give out your personal details if you are unsure of the legitimacy of the email," said a Foreign Office statement on Monday.
In February Justice Secretary Jack Straw was targeted by a similar scam, found to be the work of Nigerian Internet fraudsters.
That email was sent to hundreds of Straw's email contacts, claiming that he had lost his wallet while on charity work in Africa, and urgently needed $3,000 (£2,037) to get home.