St Mary's Church in Beverley, East Yorkshire, has issued a stark warning after becoming the target of a Facebook scam, potentially putting individuals at risk of financial loss.

A deceitful advertisement for a non-existent summer craft fair at the church solicited traders to pay £30 for stall reservations.

Rev Becky Lumley shared her astonishment with the BBC, stating that the post was a "surprise" and they did "all they could" to stop it from circulating.

Humberside Police are now involved, working alongside church officials to shield potential victims from harm.

The scam surfaced last week when a Facebook post falsely called for stallholders for the craft fair. "I had to check my diary just to make sure because there's a lot going on," Rev Lumley recounted, revealing her initial reaction before recognising the malicious intent behind the post.

"We quickly realised this was a case of somebody trying to defraud people in our name and the church's name, which is really terrible," she added.

Emphasising the gravity of exploiting the church's trusted status, Rev Lumley remarked: "The church is such a place of trust and community. We don't want anyone being picked up by people who are willing to try and take their hard-earned money off them."

She also encouraged those who might have been duped by the scam to reach out to the police. "I do know of friends who thought it was real and had started the process, and I'm very grateful that we got there before they parted with their money," she told the news outlet.

Highlighting the dual nature of social media platforms, she concluded: "Social media can be a great place to be. But, like anywhere, you will always get people who will try and take advantage."