The New Scientist, Saturday's issue (9 June) describes a scam that has apparently already caught out some science researchers, especially from Africa and Asia, (who are unfamiliar with the London hotel market and don't realise that rooms are not to be had this summer in London for e.g. £50 a night).  This is how it works.  Yiou get an email advertising a conference, free attandance, AND travel expenses paid, and even your accommodation is paid also.  Yes, "if it sounds to good to be true it probably is".  Your wallet is thinned out in one of two ways.  Either you ring to confirm, the number being a hyper-expensive premium rate number where the number owner gets £5 a minute out of the £7 a minute it's costing you to ring. OR, although the accommodation is posted as free, you have to pay the 'hotel' upfront and reclaim from the 'conference' organisers - needless to say, diligent Googling will reveal that neither the 'hotel' or the 'conference' actually exist.

You have been warned.  And yes, some have actually fallen for this.

Dr Hillary Shaw
Food and Supply Chain Management Department
Harper Adams University College
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8NB
www.fooddeserts.org