PureGym has issued an urgent warning over a new scam message targeting customers across the UK.

The gym franchise has shared the warning across its various social media channels to warn customers of the scam.

 A post on Twitter from PureGym said:  "Scam Alert: We have been informed of a scam text offering 3 months free membership that is claiming to be from PureGym.

"This is fraudulent and has not been sent by us. If you receive this message please delete and ignore."

The scam alert is the latest in a long line of scams targeting unsuspecting victims throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Just last week Royal Mail had to issue a fresh warning over scams attempting to steal personal details from customers.

Earlier this month, cash-saving guru Martin Lewis slammed the government for its failure to include scams in its new online safety plans set out in the Queen’s speech.

The Money Saving Expert founder has been battling fake online endorsements and scams for years, with many fraudsters still using his name and image to dupe unsuspecting members of the public.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and resulting national lockdown, a rise in online spending has seen opportunistic fraudsters take advantage of the current situation to exploit people.

Scams including the names of HMRC, the Royal Mail and major UK banks have been doing the rounds targeting personal details that can put people’s finances at risk.

It was hoped a crackdown on online scams would be part of the Online Safety Bill but it was not mentioned in the Queen’s speech or detailed in plans released afterwards.

Mr Lewis said the move leaves criminals to “get away with fraud with impunity”, telling the Government it has “failed to protect millions”.

“The Queen read that ‘My Government will lead the way in providing internet safety for all, especially children’,” Mr Lewis explained in a statement on Twitter.

“Yet the Government has stumbled at the first fence, by not including scams in the Online Safety Bill.

“We live in a world where the policing of scams is dangerously underfunded, leaving criminals to get away with fraud with impunity.

“This was a chance to at least deny them the ‘oxygen of publicity’ by making big tech responsible for the scammers’ adverts it is paid to publish.

“By not doing so the Government has failed to protect millions, in the midst of a pandemic, from one of the most damaging online harms to their financial and mental health.”