HEREFORDSHIRE locals were reportedly targeted as part of a food bank scam.

A post recently appeared on a Leominster community Facebook group purporting to be from a woman seeking advice regarding food banks that also supply formula milk. The poster claimed that they had fled an abusive partner earlier in the day and had been placed in a hotel after seeking emergency housing. They said that they had contacted the nearby food banks but had been turned away as they had not been referred, leading to them reaching out to locals for help as a last resort.

Tara Morris said that she got in touch with the poster and offered to meet them to help buy formula milk, but they rejected the offer and instead asked for vouchers, causing her to second-guess the nature of the situation.

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Later in the day, a spokesperson for Leominster Food Bank said that they had not received any calls from the poster, confirming that it was most likely a scam.

The original post was quickly deleted, and the alleged scammers’ Facebook account disappeared soon after.

“Unfortunately there is a common scam occurring where people take advantage of the generosity of individuals by posting in this way,” said a foodbank spokesperson.

“Please be alert to this scam and be assured that we are here to help. Our phone is available every day and we will be open over the Christmas period.”

If you’ve been made a victim of this scam, you can report it to Action Fraud either online or at 0300 1232040.