Residents have been warned to stay alert of scammers claiming to be from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

The scammers, in emails and text messages, are asking people to click on a spam link or provide information including their name, credit card or bank details.

They promise to offer fund from a ‘government grant’ in the backdrop of coronavirus spread and third lockdown. But HMRC confirmed that there is no Covid-related government grant that they are currently giving to people.

But the scam message has a number of ‘red flags’ like grammar and spelling errors, that can alert people to the fraud.

Although the linked website looks like the official government one, it is not hosted on the gov.uk domain. This confirms that the website is illegitimate.

The new scam has also been exposed by Action Fraud, UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.

A spokesperson for Action Fraud said: “We are aware of scammers claiming to be from HM Revenue and Customs offering financial support as a result of coronavirus.

“If you receive a text, email or call claiming to be from HMRC that asks you to click on a link or give info such as your name, credit card or bank details, it's a scam."