Urgent warnings as scams target the Yorkshire coast

North Yorkshire Police are warning Scarborough residents about two new scams.

The first concerns cost of living payments.

A text message is circulating with a scam about the cost of living payments that are being sent out.

The text message asks the recipient to click on a link and provide their bank details to receive their payment which is initially £326.

Police say this is a scam, and not to press the link. They also say not to provide your bank details.

Those who are eligible for the cost of living payment will receive the money automatically into their bank account.

You do not need to apply for the payment, and the Department for Work and Pensions will never ask for personal or bank details by text or email

The second scam is targetting residents along the Yorkshire coast.

A Facebook page claiming to be from Center Parcs is circulating with a giveaway competition.

The Facebook page, and others like it, is fraudulently claiming to be a well known business, and it is used to obtain personal details. There will be posts, claiming to be from a CEO, giving away holidays to people who share the page and write a comment.

PCSO Nathan Stuart, a Fraud Ambassador from Scarborough’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “If a giveaway looks too good to be true, then it usually is.

“Check the page you are looking at to see how genuine it is. If it is a big company such as Center Parcs, they will have lots of posts, going back longer than a week, with a professional layout.

“Look for contact details on the page for the business, look for terms and conditions and check the grammar, punctuation and spelling.”

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, notify your bank immediately and call North Yorkshire Police on 101.