Sergeant Barry Elliot is meeting police on Tuesday to handle the fraud - which promises winnings in return for administration fees.

He said close co-operation between the UK and Canada is helping to tackle the problem.

He will also discuss PhoneBusters - a Canadian scheme set up to target deceptive telemarketing scams.

'Hang-up'

The meeting on Tuesday with the Nottinghamshire Police Fraud Squad will be held in conjunction with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Colin Brown, of the OFT, said: "Millions of pounds are being lost by UK consumers to this scam so it is vital that we tackle the problem through continued cooperation.

"It remains a top priority for all involved in crime enforcement."

Participants receive a phone call saying they have won one million pounds -- but to release the prize money they have to pay an administration fee of about �500.

The OFT says millions of pounds have been lost to the scam across the UK .