Care workers and elderly people are being targeted by fraudsters who are sending fake NHS texts telling them a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is ready for them if they give their bank details.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has said people are being sent the scam text messages which claim to be from the NHS with the words: “We have identified that you are eligible to apply for your vaccine”.
The text message has a link to a scammers’ website – created to look like a legitimate NHS site – which asks text recipients for their name, address and bank details.
The CTSI says the fake texts are the latest in a series of scams linked to the pandemic in circulation since last March. The phoney messages were first reported in December by people living on the Western Isles of Scotland, prompting the NHS to issue a warning to the public that “Health Boards will never ask for any details about your bank account”.
Katherine Hart, lead officer at CTSI, said: “I have been tracking and warning the public about COVID-19-related scams since the beginning of the pandemic, and at every stage of response, unscrupulous individuals have modified their campaigns to defraud the public.
“The vaccine brings great hope for an end to the pandemic and lockdowns, but some only wish to create even further misery by defrauding others. The NHS will never ask you for banking details, passwords, or PIN numbers and these should serve as instant red flags.
“Do not provide any information to the scammers, but please also report suspicious messages to Action Fraud, or if in Scotland, Police Scotland, as this provides intelligence and assists authorities in combating scams.”
People across the UK ‘may receive’ fake NHS texts
The CTSI has stated the scam is ‘by no means limited to the region, and people throughout the UK are warned that they may receive similar messages’.
Donald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care, tweeted a warning that care workers are being targeted.
In a tweet posted on 6 January, Donald Macaskill (@DrDMacaskill) said: ‘Just learnt of #vaccination #scam – #careworkers being targeted by text – you will NEVER be asked to give personal bank details to prove identity to get the #Covid19 #vaccine. An #NHS logo not proof of authenticity. Be aware’.
0 Comments