Protect Your Tech
Scams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools
Money-stealing NHS vaccine texts
What’s the threat?
Fraudsters are sending fake text messages about the coronavirus vaccine in an attempt to access your bank account and steal your money.
The scams, spotted by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), claim to be from the NHS, and state that “we have identified that you are eligible to apply for your vaccine” ( 1 in the screenshot).
It tells you to click a link, which directs you to what looks like a genuine NHS site asking for your name and address. It also asks you to fill in your bank details to “verify billing address with the bank” 2 .
How can you stay safe?
In Issue 597’s Protect Your Tech we told you that Interpol had warned the public about scammers exploiting the rollout of the vaccine, and here we have the first example. Any message supposedly from the NHS that asks for your bank details should ring enough alarm bells to wake an entire neighbourhood. The NHS would never request such information, nor would it ever need passwords for online accounts and PINS. For genuine NHS updates on the vaccine, bookmark this site: www.snipca.com/36961.
The CTSI said the scam was first identified in the Western Isles of Scotland, but there’s every reason to expect it will spread through the UK just as quickly as the virus itself. Since the pandemic began nearly a year ago, scammers have been adapting their tactics to exploit the latest development in the fight against the disease. The vaccine gives them another opportunity, as does the latest lockdown, so be highly suspicious of any phone messages or emails you weren’t expecting.
Sadly, this is unlikely to be the final Covid-related scam. We’ll continue to expose similar attempts to con you.