A FRESH warning about scammers using sophisticated methods to cheat people out of cash in exchange for their Covid-19 vaccine has gone out.
Buckinghamshire Council is urging vigilance over scams used by criminals to harvest personal details and payments from residents in exchange for the vaccine.
Fraudsters are sending text messages pretending to be the NHS, bearing certain spelling mistakes and requests for bank details consistent with phishing campaigns.
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A typical example, shared by the authority, reads: “NHS: We have identified that your are eligible to apply for the Covid vaccine.
“For more information and to apply, follow here…”
There is then a fake NHS website link attached which asks for the person’s name, address, date of birth, payment card, and proof of address.
The reasoning, it says, is to “get the right mix of different people taking the vaccine”, “confirm identity”, and “confirm ownership of address”.
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“Be alert,” the council urged. “Scammers are charging for Covid-19 vaccines they don’t have and stealing financial data.
“The vaccine is free and the NHS will never ask you to hand over financial details.”
The council recommends Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards for the latest guidance.
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