BUDE-Stratton Town Council has issued a warning to residents to be vigilant after a fake post inviting traders to a non-existent event was circulated on local social media groups.

It invited traders to privately message an account to book their places at an 'event' claiming to be held at The Parkhouse on February 24 and 25.

It called for traders offering a range of wares to attend the 'event' between 10 am and 5 pm on the day, with places at the non-existent event for sale at a price of £40 each.

Amusingly, the fake post finished by asking users to be wary of scams.

A spokesperson for the town council said: "Scam alert! We've spotted a fraudulent post requesting money for a non-existent event. Be vigilant! No such event is scheduled with us. Please don't part with any money.

"Feel free to give us a call to verify the authenticity of any event."

Identical posts claiming for similar fake events at other venues have frequently circulated on local social media groups. We recently reported on a similar scam post claiming to be hosting an event at the Garland Ox public house in Bodmin.

Tips to avoid falling for scams

- Check with the venue if the post is legitimate before contacting the person offering the 'event' opportunity.

- Do not send money across without checking first. Avoid using 'family and friends' options on services such as Paypal as your options to recall it are extremely limited.

- Check the authenticity of the account offering the opportunity. Is it a name or brand you recognise?

- Is commenting turned off on the post as soon as it is published? If so, it is more likely to be a scam as by turning off comments, it limits the opportunity for others to warn that it is not a legitimate event or is a scam.

- Have you seen this post before? Often scammers will post the same post in multiple groups, merely changing the details of the venue for the fake event.