A spam email message has been sent to numerous broadband users pertaining to be from BT, an internet service provider has warned.

Internet Central said it has identified the hoax email, which carries the BT logo and claims that the company was unable to process the recipient's most recent bill payment.

People who have been sent the message are then urged to click on a hyperlink to confirm and update their personal details, to ensure their broadband service is not interrupted.

While it may look like a genuine BT email, Internet Central stressed it is not the real deal and said recipients should take steps to prevent the spam correspondence from harming their computer.

"Our advice is to contact whoever manages your spam protection," explained Wayne Coulthard of Internet Central. "Do not click on the hyperlink advertised in the email."

Last October, the government claimed cyber crime is one of the biggest threats facing the UK, along with a flu pandemic and terrorism.

In a bid to combat the problem, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition pledged an extra £500 million of funding to boost existing online security systems.

At the time, Internet Central said billions of spam emails are now circulating the web, with the number of these messages increasing by 500 per cent since the start of 2009.

The business broadband provider cited the example of one company that experienced a "spam storm", receiving one million of these harmful messages in just 60 seconds.

However, Internet Central managing director Maitland Hyslop assured consumers and businesses that while cyber crime is undoubtedly a threat, it can be tackled by taking a few "simple precautions".

Mr Hyslop recommended the use of security systems that "adapt to changes in real time and offer enhanced features currently unavailable with standard firewall solutions, such as content filtering and intrusion prevention". 

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