Graduate Fog, a careers website, has launched a campaign to 'name and shame' employers that "exploit young workers" by not paying them for internship placements.

The organisations has launched a scheme this week called Pay Your Interns, to publically name organisations that do not pay interns a proper wage.

It will send an email to the press office at each of the companies on a list, including retail, publishing, travel, telecommunications and advertising firms, asking them to clarify their policy on internships. Any who do not pay their interns - and whose interns appear do be doing proper work for them - will be asked to explain how they feel this fits with the National Minimum Wage law.

Those companies which do pay their interns will be thanked for doing so. Those who do not will be listed on a website for the world to see.

The campaign is backed by Intern Aware, Internocracy and Interns Anonymous.

Yesterday, the company's blog read: "The campaign only launched on Saturday - and already we have received more than a dozen requests to question several big-name companies about their use of unpaid interns. The response proves that interns are angry about this issue - not accepting or passive.

"Tip-offs are going to be invaluable as the campaign progresses. While we are keen to praise those who do pay their interns, we are also keen to expose those who do not. Insider tips from interns, former interns and those who have seen advertisements for dodgy-sounding internships make it easier to target our approaches to ensure we are grilling the right people."