A scam claimed that a $30,000 grant was available after some fees are paid, police warned today.

The public was told to ignore the supposed scheme, which circulated on social media.

A Bermuda Police Service spokesman said: “One incident of this nature was reported to police over the weekend, where an unsuspecting resident was contacted on Facebook messenger by an unknown person offering a $30,000 grant cheque.”

But he added the sting in the tail was the requirements before the cash was released.

The spokesman added that payment had to be made of “courier service fees and customs clearance taxes for the supposed grant cheque by purchasing iTunes gift cards, then sending back photos of each card’s validation code”.

He said the scammers promised that the money would be paid after receipt of the codes.

But the supposed recipient was blocked from sending further messages.

The spokesman added: “Inquiries regarding this matter continue.

“As a reminder, any offers of money via social media are highly suspect and information such as purchased gift card validation codes should never be sent to unknown persons over the internet.”

• To report suspected fraud, contact the Financial Crime Unit on 247-1757. Advice can also be found at www.gov.bm/how-avoid-and-report-scams.