Coronavirus vaccine scam warning

Action Fraud is warning the public to remain vigilant as criminals begin to take advantage of the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine to commit fraud.

As of 7 January 2021, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, had received 57 reports in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine.

How to protect yourself:

In the UK, coronavirus vaccines will only be available via the National Health Services of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. You can be contacted by the NHS, your employer, a GP surgery or pharmacy local to you, to receive your vaccine. Remember, the vaccine is free of charge. At no point will you be asked to pay.

- The NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details.

- The NHS will never ask you for your PIN or banking password.

- The NHS will never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine.

- The NHS will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips.  

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you are suspicious about an email you have received, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to the number 7726 which is free of charge.

If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, please report this to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Further Useful Information:

• Beware fake Covid vaccination invites, NHS warns (BBC)
• More tips from Which? here. 
• More on this type of scam from Ofcom.

The only website the service will ask you to visit is https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk.

WARNING: Criminals continue to take advantage of coronavirus vaccine roll-out as phishing email reports soar

 Action Fraud is raising awareness of another coronavirus vaccine scam, after it received a high volume of reports relating to a phishing email on Monday 25 January.

The email, which attempts to trick people into handing over their bank details, was reported more than 1,000 times in 24 hours. It appears to come from the NHS and asks the recipient to click on a link to accept or decline an invitation to receive the coronavirus vaccine. If they click accept, they are asked to input personal information and their bank card details.

The national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime has previously warned about coronavirus vaccine scams, with many people reporting receiving fake text messages purporting to be from the NHS.

Head of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith, is warning the public to remain vigilant as fraudsters continue to act:

“It’s despicable that fraudsters will take advantage of such an important tool in the fight against this evil and deadly disease. Not only are the people being targeted with this email at risk of losing money, or having their identity stolen, but they are also at risk of not receiving the real vaccine.

“The public have been fantastic at reporting these scams to us and raising awareness in their local community as well. But unfortunately, as this latest phishing campaign shows, we still have to remain cautious and alert. Remember: anything purporting to be from the NHS asking you to pay for the vaccine, or provide your bank account or card details, is a scam.”

How to protect yourself

In the UK, coronavirus vaccines will only be available via the National Health Services of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. You can be contacted by the NHS, your employer, a GP surgery or pharmacy local to you, to receive your vaccine. Remember, the vaccine is free of charge. At no point will you be asked to pay.

The NHS will never:

• ask you for your bank account or card details.
• ask you for your PIN or banking password.
• arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine.
• ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips. 

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you are suspicious about an email you have received, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to the number 7726 which is free of charge.

If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, please report this to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Action Fraud: Alert / 26-01-2021

 

COVID-19 & Vaccines Facts vs Fiction - Online Forum Event

COVID-19 Vaccine Forum with Dr Tolullah Oni, BAME virus expert

About this Event

Online forum to address and answer the concerns of the Black and Minority Ethnic communities on the COVID-19 Vaccine and whether it is safe to receive it. An opportunity to ask a leading BAME virus expert the questions you want answers to.

Dr Tolullah Oni is an urban epidemiologist at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. She is an expert in viruses as they affect the black and minority ethnic communities.

The forum will be held on Zoom and the link will be sent prior to the event to everyone who has registered.

To register for Zoom Meeting (Jan 27, 2021 07:00 PM), visit Covid & Vaccines - Fact vs Fiction or contact info@mansag.org. The Bishop of Woolwich, Bishop Karowei, and his wife Dr Mosun Dorgu, will be panellists.

Wednesday 27 January, 7.00pm to 9.00pm, entitled COVID-19 & Vaccines Facts vs Fiction, organised by the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain. It will be held on online. 

Please share this important information widely. Register at eventbrite for FREE for  the COVID-19 Vaccine Forum with Dr Tolullah Oni (Thu, 28 January 2021, 19:30 – 21:30) held online.

WARNING: National Insurance scam leads to surge in calls to Action Fraud

Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, is warning the public about a National Insurance scam, after it received over 1,000 extra calls from members of the public this week.

 Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, said:

“We are asking the public to remain vigilant and be cautious of any automated calls they receive mentioning their National Insurance number becoming compromised.

“It’s important to remember if you’re contacted out the blue by someone asking for your personal or financial details, this could be a scam.

“Even confirming personal details, such as your email address, date of birth or mother’s maiden name, can be used by criminals to commit fraud. If you have any doubts about what is being asked of you, hang up the phone. No legitimate organisation will rush or pressure you.”

How to protect yourself

If you receive an unexpected phone call, text message or email that asks for your personal or financial details, remember to:

STOP

Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.

CHALLENGE

Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

PROTECT

If you have provided personal details to someone over the phone and you now believe this to be a scam, contact your bank, building society and credit card company immediately and report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

You can also contact CIFAS to apply for protective registration. This means extra checks will be carried out when a financial service, such as a loan, is applied for using your address and personal details, to verify its you and not a fraudster.

Source: Action Fraud Alert / 22-01-2021.

HOUNDWATCH APPEAL & REMINDER ON DOG THEFT (updated version)

In recent times the number of reports of dog thefts has increased across the UK, with 2,000 dogs stolen last year.

Thieves are known to often leave white chalk marks outside homes, to show which properties have dog’s worth stealing.

The strange white lines of chalk have been appearing on brickwork, gates, and wooden fences outside houses - leaving people fearing they are being targeted.

Back in July 2020, urgent advice was issued as police noted a spike in dog thefts.

Police urged dog owners to stay alert after a rise in thefts in the UK's rural communities and around London. Officers advise to keep dogs microchipped, avoid putting photos of missing dogs on social media, keep an eye on the length of their coat so they're easily identifiable, and to make sure gardens are secured.

Police say most of the dogs which are stolen are used for breeding or for re-sale value, and owners should vary times they take their pet pooches for walks.

All dogs should be microchipped, it helps us when trying to identify a dog’s rightful owner, should they get lost or stolen. If you find a dog, please take it to a local vet or dog Warden and do not put it on social media. They will help make sure they are look after until their rightful owner can be found.

Dogs are known to have been taken from gardens, kennels even when on walks. We would advise to always be on your guard and even if you think you have a secure garden, do not allow your dog to be alone for a long time without checking on them.

You can report a stolen dog to your local ward police teams, contact details as included in this report. 

Why not join our HOUNDWATCH scheme, (pdf) it has been running for a few years has over 500 members & reports on dog theft are sent to members so they can help look for the missing pooch. We also ask that while HOUNDWATCH members are walking their dogs in Bexley that they report back to us anything they see that is suspicious, this can be drug dealing/taking, persons hanging around possibly to commit a crime, vandalism and even dumped rubbish. Reporting this can be done later when you are home or in a place safe to send the email to us, it needs to include place/time/date and what was spotted including description of person(s) etc. We will pass this onto either Bexley Police or Bexley Council as relevant.

Why not sign up now? please pass this to residents in your covered area that you know own a dog(s), they will need to email us with their details to enrol and they will receive a confirmation reply from us to say they are signed up. Email us to: bexleynw@outlook.com

DPD delivery email scam targets public

CTSI has received evidence of a delivery email scam targeting the public. The email claims that the recipient missed a parcel delivery by DPD and that a new delivery will need to be scheduled.

To report email scams, contact the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) by emailing report@phishing.gov.uk

For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133

The public and businesses are encouraged to join Friends Against Scams and Businesses Against Scams, respectively. These initiatives aim to protect and prevent people and businesses from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.

Read in full: DPD Delivery Email Scam Targets Public

Scammers - Bexley Trading Standards update

Scammers taking advantage of Coronavirus pandemic

Residents are warned to be on their guard against scammers who are trying to take advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Bexley Trading Standards have received information that scammers are using the situation to extort money or gain access to people’s homes.

Scams include:

• door-to-door fraudsters impersonating NHS staff and offering help with shopping in return for payment, or seeking donations to fund a vaccine
• individuals offering to go shopping for the elderly as a means to get and keep their money
• criminals calling at homes and selling people bogus tests to see if they're infected with the disease

Fraudsters are also sending out Coronavirus-themed phishing emails in an attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial details.

Do not let strangers into your home, particularly at this time of self-isolation and social distancing.

Source and more details at Bexley Trading Standards.