The US Embassy in Dhaka has warned the public against fake social media profiles impersonating American diplomats, saying such accounts are being used to defraud people online, according to a post on the embassy's verified Facebook page on Tuesday.

The embassy said its staff would never request money, gift cards, or personal financial information through online channels. It urged the public not to respond to such messages and not to send money if approached by accounts claiming to represent embassy officials.

The embassy did not provide further details on the scale or nature of the fraudulent activity in its post.