Fraudsters are sending bogus text messages about the coronavirus vaccine in an attempt to steal bank details, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has warned. The scam tells recipients they are 'eligible to apply for your vaccine' and includes a link to a fake NHS website that asks for personal information and bank details 'for verification'.
The CTSI said the scam is preying on elderly and vulnerable people who expect to receive legitimate vaccine information. Health authorities have stressed they would never ask for banking details. Katherine Hart, lead officer at the CTSI, said: 'The NHS will never ask you for banking details, passwords, or PIN numbers and these should serve as instant red flags.'
The warning comes as MPs heard that the pandemic is driving people into pension fraud. The Work and Pensions Select Committee was told that fraudsters are exploiting financial uncertainty to lure victims into fake investment schemes. Mark Steward of the Financial Conduct Authority warned that 'free pension reviews' often lead to scams, with fraudsters using social media advertising to 'industrialise' such fraud.
Millions of pounds have been lost to pension scams, but the crime is widely under-reported. Graeme Biggar of the National Economic Crime Centre said authorities are targeting fake comparison websites used as a gateway to investment fraud. The CTSI urged people to report vaccine scams to Action Fraud or Police Scotland.
