Senior council figures have today issued an urgent warning to all residents to beware a new, covid-linked phishing scam which insidiously targets the elderly and vulnerable in an attempt to steal money from their bank accounts.
The scam sends a text message to a person’s phone, saying that they need to book a covid-19 vaccination appointment. The message includes a link which takes them to a fake NHS form which requires a number of personal details, including their bank account to prove their identity.
“The NHS will never ask for people’s banking information,” Janet Campbell, the council cabinet member for families, health and social care, said today in an email to alert residents to the scam.
The National Health Service is free at the point of use and there is no charge or deposit required to be processed for the current coronavirus vaccination programme.
But the scam text can sometimes be convincing because NHS GPs have begun texting patients with reminders about appointments and to encourage people to take up certain services, such as the annual flu vaccination.
The NHS advises, “Anyone who receives the text message should delete it immediately.
“If you have already submitted the form with your credit card details included, then you should contact your bank to enquire about changing your credit card number with a replacement.”
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