WARNINGS have been repeated over a phone scam that targets elderly and vulnerable people.

Fraudsters are continuing to make bogus phone calls claiming to be from the HMRC, Trading Standards has warned.

The scammers will attempt to persuade people to part with personal and financial information in exchange for a tax refund or will tell them that they owe a debt and must pay it off by buying large amounts of iTunes vouchers.

In 2016, an elderly couple from Consett lost £3,000 in a similar scam after buying vouchers and giving the caller the number on them.

Trading Standards advice is to hang up straight away and never reveal private information.

Any incidents that result in financial loss should be reported to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.