Police are urging people to be on their guard against phone scammers who have targeted people in Selby.

On Thursday two incidents were reported around the town, both with a man calling on a mobile phone and claiming to be from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

PC Dave White, of the Safer Selby Hub, said: “He told the homeowners they owed money and if they did not pay up, an arrest warrant would be issued.

“Thankfully, the homeowners became suspicious and reported the matter to the police."

PC White has now urged people to be wary of scam callers, and added: “The incidents are being investigated and it is believed other similar calls may have been received around the county.”

Police have issued advice to help people avoid falling victim to fraud.

People should always make sure the person who has called is genuine, and never give personal or financial details over the telephone without checking the caller is genuine and going through security checks.

Anyone receiving calls can always ring back in their own time, once they have been able to check details. In those cases, people should never call back unknown numbers, and should hang up on suspicious callers and wait 30 minutes for the line to clear.

Information and advice is at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/fraud, or from North Yorkshire Police on 101.