NHS text alerts for life-saving Covid jab

 

The NHS will begin texting people today inviting them to book their life saving Covid jab, making it quicker and more convenient to get an appointment. 

Almost 400,000 people aged 55 and over and 40,000 unpaid carers will be the first to get a text alert inviting them to book a slot as part of the latest development in the NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in NHS history.

The messages will include a web link for those eligible to click and reserve an appointment at one of more than 300 large-scale vaccination centres or pharmacies across England.

Reminders will be sent 2-3 weeks after the original alert to encourage people to get their vaccine if they have not taken up the offer.

Texts will arrive in advance of the standard letter, meaning if the trial is successful the solution could enable the NHS to react faster to changing vaccine supplies and fill appointments quickly.

NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “Thanks to careful planning and the huge efforts of NHS staff we have vaccinated more than 18 million people in England, which is a remarkable achievement.

“The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, continues to go from strength to strength and we are now building on that momentum by trialling a quick and easy service that will hopefully make it more convenient for people to book their life saving jab.

“I had my vaccine this week – it was simple, quick and painless – and I would encourage others who have not yet taken up the offer to come forward and receive the jab.” 

Some GP-led and hospital vaccination services, which operate their own booking systems, are already using texts for invites.

Introducing them to the national booking service for vaccine centres and pharmacy-led services will help increase uptake of the life-saving jab, particularly as the NHS moves on to younger groups.

Over the weekend and yesterday more than 1.7 million people aged 56 and over were invited to book their vaccine, as the biggest programme in health service history, continues to gather pace. Saturday was the busiest day for the booking service with more than half a million appointments confirmed. Almost nine out of 10 people aged 65 and over already taking up the offer of their first dose. 

People will continue to receive letters inviting them to book an appointment as well as a text alert, to ensure that people who don’t have a number registered or need information in different languages or formats don’t miss out.

People should not receive a text message or a letter from the NHS if they have already been vaccinated and this has been recorded. If people cannot or would prefer not to travel to a Vaccination Centre or pharmacy-led site, they can choose to wait to be invited by a local GP-led service.

In some cases text messages have been used by scammers to try to collect personal details from people, get them to ring premium rate numbers or enter their banking details. 

The text message will be sent using the Government’s secure Notify service and will show as being sent from ‘NHSvaccine’.

The NHS will never ask for payment or banking details.

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and NHS medical director for primary care, said: “We know that some people are rightly worried about scams going around, but if the message comes from ‘NHSvaccine’ and links to the NHS.uk website you can be sure that it’s the right invite.

“For any messages you might get about the vaccine, always remember that the NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details, your PIN or banking password.

 

“The NHS will also never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine, or ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips.” 

 

Vaccinations are now being administered at more than 1,600 sites across the country, including mosques, museums and rugby grounds, with the distribution of centres meaning 98% of the country lives within 10 miles of at least one vaccination service.

 

Appointments are staggered to allow for social distancing and people are being asked not to turn up early to avoid creating queues.

 

Everyone receives a health status check and a pre-vaccination assessment before they receive their vaccine dose.

 

NHS teams are also visiting those who are housebound and cannot travel to a vaccination service.

 

The NHS made history when Maggie Keenan became the first person in the world to be protected against coronavirus outside of a clinical trial when she received the Pfizer vaccine at Coventry Hospital on December 8.

The NHS was also the first health system to deliver the new Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine when Brian Pinker, 82, was vaccinated on January 4.

For more details visit Action Fraud. [Alert / 09-03-2021]

Action Fraud and a Covid & Vaccine scams flyer (pdf).

Sextortian scams surge during pandemic

In January this year, Avast threat researchers blocked over 500,000 attack attempts from cybercriminals claiming to have recorded videos of unsuspecting victims during private moments online. These attacks, known as sextortion scams, attempt to blackmail victims by threatening to make these apparent recordings public unless a payment is made to the scammer. Avast threat labs researchers advise people to stay calm and ignore sextortion emails instead of reacting to them, as they usually are fake claims. 

Cybercriminals have been using the increase in video conferencing services during the Covid-19 pandemic to validate their false claims and provoke a reaction from the victim. The fraudsters allege to have taken advantage of critical vulnerabilities in the Zoom application, allowing them to access a user’s device and camera. It is important to note that Avast has not found any actual vulnerabilities in the Zoom application.

“Sextortion scams are dangerous and unsettling, and can even have tragic consequences resulting in the suicide of affected users. During the Covid-19 pandemic, cybercriminals likely see a strong opportunity for success as people spend more time using video conference applications and in front of their computer overall,” said Marek Beno, malware analyst at Avast. 

“As scary as such emails may sound, we urge people to stay calm if they receive such a message in their inbox and ignore it, as it is just a dirty trick that cybercriminals use to try to get your money.”

Another common sextortion campaign identified by Avast is an email in which the attackers claim a Trojan was installed on the recipient’s machine, which has recorded their actions with a microphone and webcam, and extracted all data from their devices including chats, social media and contacts. A ransom is demanded and often includes a note about a fake “timer” that started when the email was received in order to set a ransom deadline. This campaign is also fake and uses social engineering to coerce people into paying. 

Read the full article to find out how to recognise and protect yourself from sextortion emails. 

Staying safe from email scams

Fraudsters are constantly coming up with new ways of trying to defraud people in relation to all manner of products and services, including loans, dating, holidays, business opportunities, clairvoyants, pharmaceuticals, lottery prizes, fake COVID vaccines, even recovery of money lost to fraud and a whole lot more. 

Here we look into some of the different types of email frauds that are currently quite common and what to look out for to indicate that an email may not be genuine.

COMMON TYPES OF EMAIL SCAMS

• 419 Emails: You are offered a share in a large sum of money in return for helping to transfer it out of the country. Once you have given the criminals your bank account details, they empty your accounts.
• Phishing: An email that purports to be from companies such as banks designed to trick you into revealing your personal information and passwords. REMEMBER: your bank will NEVER contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or to move money to another account. 
• Pharming: Pharming is a term used when you are directed from a link in an email to a website that spoofs a legitimate website in order to access your personal details.
• Impersonation of UK official websites: For example HMRC, with an email message claiming you are due a refund and requesting your bank account details or directing you to a website link.
• Impersonation of UK officials: Criminals impersonate a UK official to obtain personal information and steal money, often claiming that you are due a refund or must make an urgent payment. Examples of this scam include TV License, the HMRC Tax Rebate and the Council Tax Scam. 
• Investment scams and pension scams: Emailed offers of worthless, overpriced or non-existent shares, or a time-limited opportunity to convert some or all of your pension pot into cash. Click here to find out more about these.

HOW TO SPOT A SCAM EMAIL

• The sender’s email address looks suspicious. Roll your mouse pointer over the sender’s name to check it. If it doesn’t match the website address of the organisation it says it’s from it could be a sign of a scam. 
• The email doesn’t use your name – it says something like ‘Dear customer’ instead. 
• There’s a sense of urgency, asking you to act immediately. 
• There’s a prominent website link that may look at first glance like the proper address but has one letter missing or is spelt wrong. 
• There’s a request for personal information. 
• Poor grammar and spelling mistakes. 
• The entire text of the email is contained within an image rather than the usual text format, and the image contains an embedded hyperlink to a bogus site. Again, roll your mouse pointer over the link to reveal its true destination. But don’t click it!

It is almost impossible to keep up with the variety of fraudulent emails that are increasingly appearing on our computer screens and smartphones. However, by taking your time and following the simple steps below you can better protect yourself from falling victim to attempted email fraud.

TOP TIPS

REMEMBER: IF SOMETHING SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT USUALLY IS!

1. Create a separate password for your email accounts 
2. Make sure you have strong passwords with 3 random words and change these regularly. Find out more about strong passwords here. 
3. Install two-factor authentication (2FA) for your email accounts. This is an additional process to secure your account.

Further actions you can take to keep safe

• Look after your mobile devices. Don’t leave them unattended in public places, and protect them with a PIN or passcode.
• Ensure you always have internet security software loaded on computers and update to new versions immediately. 
• Don’t assume that Wi-Fi hotspots in places like cafes and hotels are secure. Never use them when you’re doing anything confidential online, like banking. Use 3G or 4G. 
• Never reveal too much personal or financial information (such as in emails, on social networking and dating sites). You never know who might see it or use it. 
• Always consider that online or on the phone, people aren’t always who they claim to be. Fake emails and phone calls are a favourite way for fraudsters to approach their victims.
• Don’t click on links or open attachments if the source isn’t 100% known and trustworthy, or it seems strange that you’d be receiving them. 
• Always access internet banking sites by typing the bank’s address into your web browser. 
• Never pay for anything by direct bank transfer unless it’s to someone you know personally and is reputable. 
• Never respond to emails, texts, letters or social media that look suspicious, including messages with bad spelling or grammar. 
• Be cautious when going to a website from a link in an email and then enter personal details – the email could be fraudulent. 
• If someone you’ve never met in person asks you for money, that should be a red flag. Tell them you’re not interested and stop all contact. 
• When shopping online always sign up to American Express SafeKey, Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode so look for the padlock or unbroken key symbol when you first visit a site. Where possible make your purchase with a credit card or via a credible online payment system (such as PayPal) which protects you in the event of fraud.

If you are at all suspicious, heed your instincts! You are most probably right to be concerned. Report all emails that you believe to be fraudulent to report@phishing.gov.uk. 

COVID-19 vaccine fact check

 

Beware of bogus text and emails about vaccines claiming to be from the NHS.

Click on images above to enlarge.

Bexley Civc Offices - no symptoms rapid testing site

 

Covid-19 no symptoms rapid testing

Booking a free Covid-19 no symptoms rapid test (lateral flow test) in Bexley.

Neighbourhood Watch members feel a closer belonging to their neighbourhood than non-members

THE GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER-LED CHARITY HAS SEEN A GROWTH IN POPULARITY SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC DESPITE CRIME FIGURES DECREASING

• The charity has over 86,000 new supporters registering to receive information from them since the start of the pandemic (March 2020) despite the police recording 5.8 million crimes in England and Wales in the 12-month period to year ending June 2020, a 4% decrease form the previous year.

• The charity has seen over 1.2 million users visiting their website in the year ending Feb 2021, an increase of 88% from the previous year

• The charity’s website is attracting 10% more younger supporters (under 34-year-olds) since the start of the pandemic than previously

  Since the start of the pandemic (March 2020) over 86,000 people have opted to receive information from Neighbourhood Watch, and their new website attracts an average of over 100,000 monthly viewers. The vast majority of those users using the search facility to find their local Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

  The charity is attracting 10% more younger supporters (under 34-year-olds) to their website since the start of the pandemic than before.

Website users between March 2020 – Feb 2021 (blue) and March 2019 – Feb 2020 (orange)

Surveys sent to all new members since March 2020 indicate that the charity is attracting a new, younger membership. Over 13,000 new members responded to their survey and of those (indicate ages).

The majority (66%) of new members joined as they were concerned about community safety. 44% said they joined to actively help make their community a better place to live whilst 33% cited a rise in crime in their area as a reason for joining. 

Bitcoin-Related Scam Emails

We’re warning the public to be vigilant of unsolicited emails promoting cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) investment opportunities. We’ve received over 750 reports this week about Bitcoin-related phishing emails that use fake celebrity endorsements to try and lure victims into investment scams. The links in the emails lead to fraudulent websites that are designed to steal your money, as well as personal and financial information.

How you can protect yourself:

• Investment opportunities: Don’t be rushed into making an investment. Remember, legitimate organisations will never pressure you into making a transaction on the spot.

• Seek advice first: Speak with a trusted friend or family members, and seek independent professional advice before making significant financial decisions.

• FCA register: Use the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) register to check if the company is regulated by the FCA. If you deal with a firm (or individual) that isn’t regulated, you may not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if things go wrong and you lose your money.

• For more information about how to invest safely, please visit: https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart

• Report suspicious emails: If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, you can report it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service by forwarding the email to - report@phishing.gov.uk

To see examples of the Bitcoin-related phishing emails that have been reported to us, follow Action Fraud on Twitter or Facebook.

How to spot an investment scam (Which?)

Neighbourhood Alert : 12/02/2021