Traders in Harrogate and Ripon targeted by coronavirus conmen trying to carry out inspections

Harrogate Borough Council annonced yesterday that it has received reports of unknown individuals asking business owners permission to look around their premises.

"These were not our officers," the council said on Twitter.

"We will always have and show identification should we need to visit."

Traders in the borough have been warned to be on their guard against this type of scam.

Genuine district and county council officers are inspecting businesses to ensure they are complying with Covid-19 measures.

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Separately, North Yorkshire Police has also reported a number of scams related to coronavirus during lockdown.

These include scammers pretending to be from the government telling victims they have been fined for breaking lockdown rules.

The fraudsters are trying to trick recipients into handing over their bank details using links to unofficial websites.

Another scam to look out for is a message claiming to be from HMRC offering a tax refund due to changes in the law around Covid-19.

Fraudsters are also pretending to be from the Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation, sending messages with an attachment including tips and advice to keep safe from the virus.

Anyone who receives these messages should delete them immediately.

Contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 to report any scams.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter