SINN FÉIN TD Pearse Doherty has warned that someone impersonating him on social media has been asking people for money.

The Donegal-native said the scam is designed to “exploit people’s trust”, and asked people to spread awareness about them.

In a post to Facebook, Doherty said: “A fake account pretending to be me has been set up and is attempting to scam people by asking for money.

“Let me be clear: I will never ask anyone for money, bank details, gift cards or any form of payment through social media or messaging apps such as Telegram for any of my constituency services.”

He advised anyone who receives a message from someone claiming to be him to check whether it’s one of his official verified accounts.

“If you are in any doubt, do not respond,” he said.

“These scams are designed to exploit people’s trust. Please help protect others by sharing this warning with your family and friends.”

Doherty asked those who suspect someone is impersonating him to report the fake account to the relevant social media platform and contact his constituency office.