Jan 06, 2021 | News
Criminals have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to steal millions of pounds in the UK. The crimes have varied from fraud to cybercrime and include selling fake cures and lying to illegally obtain personal and banking details from victims.
Upon the advent of the vaccination programme beginning in the UK, scam text messages and cold calls are telling people they are eligible for the vaccine. Text messages post a link to follow for further information and to apply for a vaccine asking for bank details for verification purposes.
There is no application process for the vaccine. There is no payment for the vaccine and individuals will be contacted by their own GP when they become eligible to receive it.
This sort of crime is becoming more sophisticated and the link appears to take users to a website that looks very similar to the real NHS website. The NHS will never ask you for banking details passwords or pin numbers.
‘Action Fraud’ says that you should never give out personal details to organisations or people before verifying their credentials first, even if the message appears to be genuine.